The Hindu Business Line : Rlys to concentrate on high density network

Railways expects to handle about 785 mt traffic per annum — that too when it is operating at over 100 per cent capacity utilisation levels in several of the high density routes.

Mamuni Das

New Delhi, Jan. 24

Till the dedicated freight corridor is ready, Indian Railways plans to augment its capacity by heavily investing in its high density network and routing incremental investments towards creation of better goods sheds.

The high density network, which comprises rail routes along the golden quadrilateral, its diagonals and the Delhi-Guwahati route, accounts for about 28 per cent of total rail route length in the country. However, about 75 per cent of total freight traffic moves on these routes. Thus, the Ministry has decided to invest about Rs 20,000 crore over the next three to five years in strengthening the high density network.

The investment would be routed to over 100 projects that include doubling, building third lines, improving signalling and building overbridges.

Since Railways has set a target to move 1,100 million tonnes traffic per annum by the end of the Eleventh Plan, it should have created incremental capacity to handle such traffic. With the current infrastructure, Railways expects to handle about 785 mt traffic per annum — that too when it is operating at over 100 per cent capacity utilisation levels in several of the high density routes. During the last three to four years, Railways has primarily augmented capacity by increasing the carrying capacity per wagon and improving the wagon turnaround time.

Low growth rate

Incidentally, in 2007, a Parliamentary standing committee had also rapped Indian Railways pointing out that its expansion in terms of new track has seen a low growth rate of 0.33 per cent per annum during the 54-year period of 1951 to 2004.

As on April 1, 1951, Indian Railways had a rail network of 53,596 route km, including 25,258 km of broad gauge, 24,185 km metre gauge and 4,153 km narrow gauge. Since then, over the last 54 years (up to April 31, 2004), the Railways had expanded its network to 63,221 route km, comprising 46,807 km broad gauge, 13,290 km metre gauge and 3,124 km narrow gauge — a growth rate of just about 0.33 per cent per annum.

Additionally, the Ministry also proposes to strengthen about 50 goods terminals at a cost of Rs 200 crore. There are 200-odd terminals that handle over 15 rakes per month on an average. “We plan to augment the terminals by investing in approach roads. Additionally, since several of these terminals handle certain key commodities such as coal, iron ore, cement, fertiliser, we would also develop platforms in a manner best suited for handling a particular commodity,” said official sources.