The Hindu Business Line : Western Railways posts 14% hike in cargo handling

Mumbai, April 1 Western Railways bucked recessionary trends by notching up a 14 per cent hike in cargo throughput, at a time when even major ports are facing a fall in traffic flow.

Western Railways posted a freight loading of 50 million tonnes (mt) in 2008-09 against 43.8 mt in the previous fiscal.

A senior official of the Railways said the increase was mostly on account of a nearly doubling of the coal traffic. During the year, it handled 7 mt of imported coal, about 90 per cent more than the previous year. Increased coal imports by power plants, especially NTPC, led to the increase in coal traffic for WR.

“Major contributors to growth in Western Railway traffic have been the ports on the western coast, especially Mundra, Kandla, Pipavav and Navlakhi ports,” the official said.

Fertiliser throughput also jumped 19 per cent to touch 13.7 mt during the year, while flow of petroleum products rise 18 per cent to 10.9 mt. “Major loading was done by WR from IOC refinery, Vadodara, and Essar and Reliance refineries in Jamnagar,” he said.

Container traffic, which is the focus area of the railways, also increased 28 per cent.

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