The South Central Railway (SCR), which is getting good revenue from freight loading at Krishnapatnam Port Company Limited (KPCL) and Kakinada Sea Port Limited (KSPL), is planning to complete mechanisation of the ports by next year.
During 2012-13, the overall earnings of Vijayawada Division of the SCR, was Rs. 2,933 crore, of which Railways got Rs.2,294 crore on freight transportation. The total earnings during 2011-12 were Rs. 2,291 crore and the Railways netted Rs.1,706 crore on freight loading.
Major revenue
As SCR is getting major revenue from KPCL, located in Nellore district, and KSPL, railway officials are concentrating on electrification of lines and doubling the tracks in the ports. Railways is importing and exporting fertilisers, coal, gypsum, iron ore and food grains from the two seaports.
Railways loaded 28.332 million tonnes of goods during the just concluded financial year, which was only 24.802 million tonnes during 2011-12, and the variation was 14.23 per cent compared to previous year. SCR earned Rs. 1,076 crore on freight loading from KPCL, which was Rs.678 crore last year. From KSPL, Railways got Rs. 679 crore while it was Rs. 542 crore during 2011-12, said Vijayawada Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Pradeep Kumar.
So far, loading process was being done through semi-mechanisation system (i.e. through conveyer belt) in both the ports. In Krishnapatnam port, electrification of lines was being done for loading coal and in Kakinada port mechanisation of two lines would be completed by July this year.
By 2014, mechanisation works would be completed in KSPL for transporting fertilisers to various destinations. Works are under progress for doubling the tracks between Gudur and Krishnapatnam port to increase freight loading, said Mr. Pradeep Kumar.
Railways loaded 28.332 million tonnes of goods during the concluded financial year. Electrification of lines was being done for loading coal in Krishnapatnam Port. Works are under progress for doubling the tracks between Gudur and Krishnapatnam port to increase freight loading
