Despite a ban on mining in Karnataka, South Western Railway (SWR) has arrested the downward trend in freight volume and earnings.

According to Ashok Kumar Mital, General Manager, SWR, “The railways, by loading coal, cement and steel has carried 11.80 million tonnes of freight during the first-four months of this fiscal, against 11.60 million tonnes carried in the same period last year.”

As for the freight earnings, up to July this year, it had gone up by 19.38 per cent to Rs 958.55 crore against Rs 802.94 crore registered last year.

Mital, said: “The number of passengers carried has also increased from 62.75 million to 64.58 million.”

“The originating passenger earnings have increased by 8.68 per cent, from Rs 369.66 crore to Rs 401.73 crore,” he pointed out.

Turnaround in performance

“With this, the first four months of this fiscal has been encouraging both for passenger traffic as well as freight traffic. This has demonstrated remarkable turnaround of SWR in its performance in nine years of its existence,” he added.

Mital said a special thrust is being given to improve infrastructure and line capacity on various sections.

During the current year, 41.5 kilometres of new line, 27 kilometres of gauge conversion and 44 kilometres of doubling have been targeted for completion.

Out of this, 11.5 kilometres of new line between Kannivehalli-Chikmagalur, a part of Kadur-Chikmagalur project and 7 kilometres of doubling of tracks between Channapatna and Settihalli, a part of Ramnagaram-Mysore project, has already been completed, he added.

> anil.u@thehindu.co.in

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