SC Rlys earnings at Rs 4,149cr

South Central Railway (SCR)'s earnings during the year 2004-05 touched Rs 4,149 crore as compared to Rs 3,702 crore achieved in the previous year, representing a healthy 14 per cent growth in freight loading during the period.

The total freight loading during the year ended March 31, 2005, touched 51 million tonnes, an increase of 6.22 million tonnes over the previous year's figure. This is 3 million tonnes more than the annual targets set by SCR, according to a press release.

There has been an unprecedented growth of 13.7 per cent in the case of cement and clinker loading which touched 15.3 million tonnes during the year.

Iron ore loading was 2.46 million tonnes during the same period, the highest ever after the bifurcation of SCR, registering a phenomenal growth of 549 per cent over the previous year, according to the press release.

Among the commodities, coal which constitutes 43 per cent of the total originating freight loading on this zone registered a growth of 5.4 per cent during the year ended, March, 2005 as compared to previous year with the total coal loading touching 22 million tonnes for the period.

Passenger traffic on the zone has also risen to 204.93 millions in the financial year 2004-05 from 195.36 millions in 2003-04.