The Mysuru Division of South Western Railway zone is targeting handling a freight traffic of 8.20 million tonnes during 2020-21, according to Aparna Garg, Divisional Railway Manager of Mysuru division.

She said the division handled the highest ever yearly loading of 8.137 million tonnes in 2019-20. The previous highest loading was in 2012-13. The division had handled 6.624 million tonnes that year.

Elaborating on the plans to boost freight traffic for 2020-21, she said the officials of the division are conducting regular meetings with existing and new customers through web link. The division has reached out to CII, APMCs and CONCOR to capture the traffic of industrial and agricultural commodities.

A Business Development Unit (BDU) of the division, headed by a Senior Operations Manager with a multi-disciplinary team of officers, has been set up.

She said that the first ever parcel train was also run from Nanjangud in Mysuru to Howrah carrying the products of an FMCG company.

Garg said 28 meetings have been conducted so far across the division in a drive to get new traffic. The division has taken up improvement to three goods sheds in a phased manner to facilitate freight customers.

‘Mission Raftaar’

It is also working on ‘Mission Raftaar’ to increase the maximum permissible speed. Though passenger services were stopped in view of the Covid pandemic, goods trains were operated to maintain the supply chain of essential and non-essential commodities. She said that 125 rakes of essential and 173 rakes of non-essential goods were unloaded at six goods sheds under the division.

Garg said there is a ghat section between Sakleshpur in Hassan district and Subramanya Road in Dakshina Kannada district under the Mysuru division with a length of 55.26 km.

Due to ruling gradient of 1 in 50 and non-availability of catch siding, crossing and precedence of trains was hitherto not permitted. With the introduction of signalling modification at four stations, crossing will become possible. Line capacity of the section will go up from 13 to 21, thus giving scope to run additional goods trains, she said.

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