The Hindu Business Line : Northern Railway revenues touch Rs 4,892 crore

AFTER Infosys and Wipro, it is the turn of Northern Railway to announce its entry into the billion dollar club with revenues for 2003-04 touching Rs 4,892 crore, surpassing the revised budget estimate of Rs 4,787 crore by 2 per cent.

"Our income has grown despite three out of our eight divisions being taken away due to reorganisation. We hope to continue the growth trend and are aiming to cross a turnover of Rs 5,200 crore in the current year," the Northern Railway General Manager, Mr R.R. Jharuhar, told reporters here.

Mr Jharuhar attributed the improved performance to better crew management, close monitoring of rolling stock, special freight trains to port destinations such as Kandla and Gandhidham and running of non-stop freight express trains.

There was an increase of about 14 per cent in passenger traffic through which the Northern Railway earned Rs 2,539 crore during the first 11 months of 2003-04.

In terms of earnings from passenger traffic, the growth is about 16 per cent over Rs 2,194 crore during the same period last year.

The biggest achievement of the Northern Railway during the recently concluded year was the completion of the Jammu-Udhampur rail line. The first train on the section crossed the bridge on the river Gambhir on April 21, marking a major technological achievement, Mr Jharuhar said.

The 284-metre span Gambhir bridge was a challenge as it had to be built in a seismically active area where a fault was discovered at the site of the bridge.

Mr Jharuhar said that the Commissioner of Railway Safety had given his clearance for the 53 km Jammu Udhampur line and passenger services on the section will be started by the end of the current month.

Elaborating on plans to improve passenger facilities at railway stations in Delhi, he said at Hazrat Nizamuddin station, a project to expand platforms, extend foot over-bridges and expansion of first and second entries would begin in June next year.

At New Delhi railway station, he said, the zone was finalising a concept plan for a passenger-handling terminal on the Ajmeri Gate side apart from new platforms and expansion of train maintenance facilities.

Planning was also at an advanced stage for the Anand Vihar mega terminal, completion of which was slated to be over in two years, he said. "The design of the terminal is nearing completion and we will soon start work on the project," he added.

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