Gross traffic receipts of the railways fell Rs 306.70 crore short of the budgeted target during April-December 2002.
According to data released by the railway ministry, gross traffic earnings during the first nine months of the current fiscal stood at Rs 30,070.74 crore, compared to the budgeted target of Rs 30,377.44 crore. The shortfall may be attributed to a slowdown in passenger traffic because the freight loading target for the fiscal has already been met.
According to initial figures, the ministry loaded 518 million tonnes of cargo till the end of January, as against 510 million tonnes budgeted for the fiscal.
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The ministry also saved Rs 981.22 crore during April-December 2002, spending Rs 22,476.60 crore as against the budgeted expenditure of Rs 23,457.82 crore. However, the railways are expected to end the fiscal with a deficit of Rs 1,000 crore, experts say.
During 2001-02, the railways