For railway minister D V Sadanand Gowda, it will be a tightrope walk between populism and tough reform measures as it presents the Modi government's first railway budget on Tuesday at a time when the cash-strapped transporter is gasping for survival. br br Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who makes no bones about his humble beginnings as a tea vendor at railway stations, has promised to modernize the railways and build high-speed networks across the country. br br The pre-budget hike in fares and freight as made Gowda's job a tad easier. The minister is likely to announce a slew of measures to garner funds such as tapping foreign investments, encouraging private players and outlining public-private partnership models to revamp rail infrastructure.