The Hindu Business Line : Railways freight revenue up 17.98 pc

The Railways has generated Rs 35,971.17 crore revenue earnings from freight traffic during the financial year ended March 2006 compared to Rs 30,489.23 crore during the corresponding period last year, reflecting an increase of 17.98 per cent.

"Railways carried 667.39 million tonnes of freight traffic during the financial year ended March 2006 compared to 602.78 mt in the corresponding period last year, an increase of 10.72 per cent," an official release said here.

During March, revenue earnings from freight traffic were Rs 3,550.46 crore, compared to Rs 3,120.44 crore during the year-ago period, an increase of 13.78 per cent.

"Railways carried 66.19 mt of freight traffic duringthe month compared to 59.52 mt during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 11.21 per cent," it said.

Of the total earnings in March, Rs 1,322.15 crore came from transportation of 28.01 mt coal, followed by Rs 265.43 crore from 3.01 mt petroleum oil and lubricant, Rs 320.67 crore from 6.88 mt cement and Rs 224.23 crore from 3.56 mt iron ore for exports.

Amongst other categories, Rs 315.33 crore came from transportation of 4.17 mt of foodgrains, Rs 129.18 crore from 2.47 mt of fertilisers, and Rs 160.34 crore from 4.83 mt of raw material for steel plants.