“The earnings of Salem Railway Division that was Rs. 295 crore in the year 2006-07 has increased to Rs. 505 crore in the financial year 2012-13. This is expected to increase by five per cent in the current financial year and cross Rs. 530 crore,” said Sujatha Jayaram, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Salem Railway Division.
She told this to reporters here on Friday while dwelling in detail on the achievements of the division that stepped into the seventh year of formation on that day.
The DRM said that the number of passengers served by the division had increased from 85,000 a day in 2006 to 1,15,000 a day in 2013.
“On Friday, Salem Railway Division became the first in Southern Railways to launch online reservation for retiring rooms. It was launched at the Coimbatore Junction at 10 a.m. making it possible for booking the retiring rooms from anywhere across India. It will soon be extended to Salem Junction,” she said.
She said that the lift in the Salem Junction would soon be put to use for the convenience of the public. “Such lifts will soon be erected in the Coimbatore and Erode Junctions. The railway booking counter in Coimbatore will soon be closed and expanded for the convenience of the passengers,” she added.
Ms. Sujatha said that the hospital for railway staff in Erode would soon be converted into a 60-bed multi speciality one at Rs. 5.1 crore to benefit more than 10,000 employees of this division.
Pointing out that a first aid centre had been opened in the Salem Junction, she added that they were conducting talks with private hospitals to establish similar centres at the Erode and Tirupur Junctions.
“Salem – the youngest in Southern Railways and the 68 in India – is handling a total of 78 mail and express trains and 60 freight trains on a day-to-day basis. As many as nine express trains and eight passenger trains were introduced in the division since its formation in 2006.
“Salem Division has not given way for any major accident over the years,” the DRM concluded.
Earlier that day, the division celebrated the day by giving sweets to passengers along with their tickets at the Salem Junction.
