Title - ECoR hikes passenger carrying, freight loading capacity

Bhubaneswar: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) increased its freight loading and passenger carrying capacity during the first four months of the current financial year and also surpassed the proportionate loading target fixed by the Railway Board, official sources said.

During the first four months from April to July, ECoR loaded 42.44 million tonne of freight which is 13.3 per cent more than the corresponding period of last fiscal and 0.2 per cent more than the target during the period. The railway loaded 37.45 million tonne of freight during the period. Similarly, during the month of July only, the railway surpassed the loading target and loaded 11.09 tonne of freight which is 13 per cent more than the corresponding period of last year and 4.1 per cent more than the target. In July 2011, ECoR carried 9.81 million tonne of freight.

During the first quarter, the ECoR earned a total revenue of Rs 2788.68 crore, which was Rs 726.34 crore more than the figure achieved in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal by registering an increase of 36.54 per cent. This spectacular growth was achieved despite constraints like disruption in train movements due to agitations, rail roko, yard remodeling works and extremist activities in the revenue generating areas, they said.

The major commodities carried by the railway were coal, iron ore, finished steel, fertilizers, foodgrains, cement and other freight loadings. On the passenger front, ECoR carried 21.90 million passengers during the first quarter which is 2.91 per cent more than the corresponding period of the last fiscal.

During this period of last year, ECoR had carried 21.28 million passengers. Similarly, on the revenue front from passenger carrying, the railway earned rupees 202.49 crores by registering an increase of 4.82 per cent than the corresponding period of last year. During the 1st quarter of last fiscal, ECoR had earned revenue of Rs 193.18 crores from passenger front only.