The Hindu Business Line : Eastern Rly posts record increase in freight traffic

During the year under review, ER handled freight traffic of 38 mt compared to 31.75 mt in 2002-03, posting a 19.6 per cent growth against the all-India average of 7.5 per cent.

Kolkata , April 12

EASTERN Railway (ER) handled incremental freight traffic of over six million tonnes (mt), for the first time in its history, during 2003-04.

"Not even in undivided days, when there were as many as seven divisions under it, did ER handle so much incremental traffic," said Mr S.R. Thakur, Chief Operations Manager, ER.

In October 2000, ER was stripped of three of its freight earning divisions - Dhanbad, Mughalsarai and Danapur, which have been reconstituted into a new railway zone.

It is now left with only four divisions - Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol and Malda.

During the year under review, ER handled freight traffic of 38 mt compared to 31.75 mt in 2002-03, posting a 19.6 per cent growth against the all-India average of 7.5 per cent. Freight earnings also rose to Rs 916.25 crore (Rs 604.81 crore).

Mr Thakur attributed the improvement in throughput to the jump in coal traffic.

The incremental coal traffic was more than four mt at 27.7 mt in 2003-04 from 23.4 mt the previous year.

This was possible because of the rise in offtake by both Kahalgaon and Farakka units of NTPC. An additional freight of three mt was moved by the Railway to these two units together.

Two joint sector coal companies, Integrated Coal Mines Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of CESC Ltd) and Bengal Emta, a joint venture between West Bengal Power Development Corporation and Eastern Minerals Trading Agency (Emta), accounted for an additional one million tonnes or so, which is likely to persist in the current fiscal too.

Another joint sector coal company, Panem - a joint venture between Panjab State Electricity Board and Emta - which is to raise coal in Pakur area in the State and start railway transportation soon, would account for an additional 0.5 mt in the current year, and account for as much as 3.5 mt by 2006-07.

The outsourcing of road transportation of coal from pitheads to the nearest railhead by Eastern Coalfields Ltd too is expected to boost to some extent the rail movement of coal.

"If the current trend is any indication, we might end up the current fiscal with a coal traffic throughput of 30 mt or so," Mr Thakur said.

Stone and stone chips accounted for an additional throughput of about 1.4 mt - 5.7 mt in 2003-04 compared to 4.3 mt in 2002-03 - and cement an additional 0.13 mt at 0.74 mt (0.61 mt).

For the first time in more than a decade, intra-State movement of foodgrains resumed.

"For the past couple of months, foodgrains are being loaded at Siuri and Burdwan at the rate of 20,000 tonnes a month on an average for transportation to north Bengal."

He added that ER could not cater satisfactorily to the requirements of the North Frontier Railway, largely because of operational constraints.

"The conversion of the metre-gauge network into a broad-gauge one soon will hopefully take care of the problem to a large extent."

Also, the clinker movement from Jabalpur area to two cement plants in West Bengal has left much to be desired.

"We have taken up the matter with the Railway Board."

The volume of ER's inward traffic being substantial, there was no shortage of wagons. "Even without any additional input, we can handle as much as 42 mt with no difficulty," Mr Thakur added.