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Kolkata, April 8 Eastern Railway’s (ER) originating freight loading in 2007-08 dropped to 44.8 million tones (mt) from 48.3 mt in 2006-07, largely due to lower loading of coal in the mines under Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL).

The coal loading at ECL mines during the year was around 14.99 mt as compared to 17.74 mt in the previous year, said Mr N.K. Goel, General Manager of ER, while addressing the members of the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce here on Tuesday.

Mr Goel, however, exuded optimism that the situation would vastly improve in the current fiscal (2008-09) and set the freight loading target for the year at 49 mt.

The optimism was based on the prospect of improved coal loading at the ECL mines.

Also, the freight loading under ER’s Howrah division was poised for a steady growth.

In 2007-08, the average freight loading in Howrah division was 1,235 wagons a day as compared to 760 in the previous year.

Of this, the coal loading accounted for 484 wagons a day (216 in the previous year).

The improved loading of coal at Pakur under Howrah Division also yielded better revenue earning for ER because of the long lead.

The Pakur coal was transported to as far as Ropar in Punjab whereas the coal loaded in ECL mines had much smaller lead, he said.

ER’s originating freight earning in 2007-08 amounted to Rs 2,233.03 crore (Rs 1,804.73 crore), thus posting 23.73 per cent growth.

During the same period the passenger earning at Rs 1,170 crore (Rs 999.89 crore) showed a growth of 17.01 per cent, Mr Goel added.

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