The Salem division of Southern Railway has notched up new records both in terms of total number of passengers carried and the revenue earned during 2010-11 compared with the previous financial year.

It has been rated as the best overall performing division of Southern Railway for the second year running during 2010-11.

In a press release, the Salem Division of Southern Railway said that the division carried, during the last financial year, 339.39 lakh passengers which was 9.48 per cent higher than the 303.24 lakh passengers carried during the previous year (2009-10).

The division earned during 2010-11 Rs 430.33 crore as revenue which was an increase of 4.17 per cent over the previous year's income of Rs 413.12 crore. While passenger traffic accounted for Rs 282.84 crore of the income (constituting about 66 per cent of the income), goods traffic's share was Rs 108.47 crore (25 per cent). Parcel and other coaching fetched Rs 21.38 crore and the balance 4 per cent came from sundry earnings.

The division also scored better on performance parameters. The number of train accidents came down from 9 in 2009-10 to one in 2010-11 and no indicative accidents occurred compared with two in 2009-10. But minor accidents in yard went up from five to 10.

The punctuality of trains was higher at 89.25 per cent from 84.55 in the previous fiscal.

New services, more amenities

The division also saw three new services being introduced — Coimbatore–Erode Passenger, Coimbatore–Tirupati Express and Coimbatore–Madras Duranto Express. Besides, the Coimbatore- Mettupalyam passenger train was made a regular service.

The division also initiated steps to improve passenger amenities, such as opening booking offices at Podanur and Coimbatore North, improvement to circulating area at Coimbatore, new waiting halls at Coimbatore and Erode and provision of 58 new PF shelters at various stations.

Under the Divisional Railway Manager, Mr P.N. Ram, the division has been rated the best overall performing division of Southern Railway for the second year running during 2010-11 and has secured 11 efficiency shields out of 33 shields awarded by Southern Railway during the Railway Week function.