Title - Palakkad rail division freight loading up 70%

The originating freight loading of Palakkad division of Southern Railways has recorded 70.5 per cent growth during April-July of 2012-13.Quoting Piyush Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, Palakkad division, a press release said here on Thursday that the division achieved an originating freight loading of 2.314 million tonnes for April-July period of the current financial year as against 1.357 million tonnes of the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.During June alone, Palakkad division achieved an originating freight loading of 0.617 million tonnes. This was the highest ever loading in a month. The target for the current financial year is 5.915 million tonnes.He said that infrastructure improvement has been done at Mangalore Junction station for freight train examination.During the first four months of the current financial year, the passenger earnings of the division stood at Rs 136 crore as against Rs 126 crore in the corresponding period last fiscal. During this period, the division handled 2.63 crore passengers.Agarwal said that the overall earnings during this period stood at Rs 285.64 crore. This is 0.5 per cent more than the target given to the division.Railways and Kerala State Revenue authorities have done a joint inspection at Kanjikode for the establishment of a rail coach factory. He said that 230.10 acres of land has been demarcated at the site. A formal take over of the land is scheduled shortly.

The track between Mangalore Junction and Netravati has been commissioned after its doubling, he said.

An incinerator has been installed at Shoranur for the effective disposal of garbage. Based on the performance of this, installation of incinerators at other stations will be contemplated, he added.

vinayak.aj@thehindu.co.in