Eastern Rail hopes to reverse freight fall

Eastern Railway (ER) has reported a 23.73 per cent rise in its freight earnings in 2007-08 at Rs 2,233.03 crore as against Rs 1,804.73 crore in 2006-07.

However ER carried less freight traffic at 48.3 million ton (mnt) in 2006-07 to 44.5 mnt in 2007-08. It attributed this drop in lower coal loading by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), from 17.74mnt. to 14.99 mnt., in the same period. Coal comprised 78 per cent of ER's originating freight of 44.5mnt while stone loading was another a major constituent.

ER has set a freight loading target of around 49mnt for 2008-09 as it expected enhanced coal loading by ECL. ER's passenger earnings rose from Rs 999.89 crore in 2006-07 to 2007-08 in Rs 1,170 crore, thereby posting a growth of 17.01 per cent.

The total originating earning of ER in 2007-08 increased by Rs 609.55 crore over the previous fiscal, a rise of 20.41 per cent.

ER also recorded a 5.39 per cent growth in the number of passengers in 2007-08. ER was banking on the dedicated freight corridor project in the eastern region (Ludhiana-Dankuni) to augment its freight traffic and revenues.

The dedicated freight corridors will be capable of running above 30 ton axle load at a speed of 100 km/hr and will help to reduce the trip time, provide guaranteed transit time and door to door service, N K Goel, general manager of ER, said at an interactive session on 'Eastern Railway - Vision 2020', organised by the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce.

The Union railway ministry has set a freight traffic target of 1,100 mnt and passenger traffic target of 840 crore by 2012.

"The market share of Indian Railways in freight transportation is around 40 per cent and in order to maintain the market share, the Indian Railways have to achieve the incremental freight loading by about 10.5 to 11 per cent", he added.

Goel admitted that goods sheds were an integral part of the freight network and pointed out that full length goods sheds with modern facilities were set to come up at a number of places including Asansol, Durgapur, Raniganj, Cossipore, New Alipore, Dankuni and Malda in the near future.

"Full rake length goods sheds have been opened at Topsi, Talit, Barasat, Krishnanagar and Bongaon. Wherever goods sheds are being developed, direct delivery lines, electrification for proper lighting and other facilities are being incorporated for minimising wagon detention time and also the time of loading and unloading. A modern warehouse is also being developed by the Central Warehousing Corporation at Dankuni", Goel said.