Title - South Eastern Railways register 11.75% jump in passenger earnings in April-July 2012

KOLKATA: Between April-July 2012 the total number of originating passengers carried by South Eastern Railway (SER) has increased by 5.42% over last year. SER has carried 91.15 million passengers this year as compared to 86.46 million passengers carried during the same period, the previous year. Earnings from passenger traffic recorded a 11.75% jump during the first 4 months of 2012-13. As compared to Rs.370.99 crores earned in the previous corresponding period, SER earned Rs.414.59 crore during in the first four months of the current year. Passenger earnings as well as the number of passenger carried have shown an upward trend both in the suburban as well as in the non-suburban segments.In the freight sector, SER loaded 41.16 million tons during April-July, 2012 against 40.94 million tonnes during the same period last year. Iron ore loading which forms the bulk of a major component of loading in SER has shown an improvement during the months of June & July and thereby the Indian Railways division has been able to surpass the last year's iron ore loading figure of 22.26 million tons and recorded a figure of 22.77 million tons in the first four months of the current year. Among other commodities, pig iron and finished steel, cement, food grains and POL(Petroleum oil & Lubricants) have all shown an increase over last year's figures.

This increase in loading figures is significant because SER has been able to surpass the laid down targets of Railway Board which was 37.92 million tons. The loading figure of 41.16 million tons achieved during April to July 2012 is therefore 8.54% higher than the target laid down by Railway Board.

As far as the gross earnings is concerned (including freight, passenger, other coaching and sundries), SER has achieved an earning of Rs.3606.89 crore in the current year as compared to Rs.3581.45 crore achieved last year which is an increase of Rs.25.44 crore.