Rail Freight Cheaper Than Road Haulage

The movement of goods from Delhi to Agra by train will now cost 56.3 per cent less than truck charges.

As per the new freight rates by the Northern Railway, a quintal of cargo being carried by train from Delhi to the Agra Cantonment will cost Rs 12.1 as compared to Rs 27.7 by truck.

Railway officials said electrical goods, handloom products, clothes, motor parts, books, readymade garments, plastics, sports goods and general merchandise have benefited from the revised rates.

Rail freight charges between Delhi to Kolkata and even far-flung places like Guwahati are now more attractive. Rates are also lower between the capital and Bangalore or Amritsar, as compared to road transport.

 

The fall in parcel rates by as much as 77.5 per cent is going to prove beneficial for places close to Delhi.

This is in keeping with the declared objective of making trains a preferred choice for short-distance cargo-haul.

Railway officials maintained that since these goods are carried over short stretches only, it made more sense to provide for heavy discounts on shorter routes rather than the long haul ones which are traditionally used for bulk goods like iron ore, coal and foodgrains.

The per quintal rates from Delhi Junction, New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations to major destinations like Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad have dipped by 40 per cent.

However, with a charge of Rs 127.7 per quintal for Delhi to Mumbai, trucks score over trains for carrying freight between the national capital and the financial capital of the country.

The same is true for Ahmedabad and Kanpur which are also important commercial cities.

Railway Minister Nitish Kumar had announced a rationalisation of the freight structure in this year