Southern Railway, that serves parts of Dakshina Kannada district, has recorded robust growth in freight and passenger segments in the first nine months of financial year 2023-24.
It recorded a 6% increase in originating freight loading by handling 29.351 million tonnes of freight between April-December when compared to 27.66 million tonnes during the corresponding period in the previous fiscal.
In December 2023, Southern Railway registered an originating freight loading of 3.241 million tonnes. The growth in freight loading has been fuelled by coal, iron and steel, fertilisers, iron ore, cement, foodgrain, petroleum-oil-lubricants (POL), and container traffic.
“The zone earned ₹2,651 crore from originating freight,” said Chief Public Relations Officer B. Guganesan.
Mangaluru region alone contributed ₹50 crore in revenue by handling 6.9 lakh tonnes of freight in December 2023. | Photo Credit: Anil Kumar Sastry
A predominantly passenger-oriented zone, Southern Railway earned ₹5,254.93 crore from originating passenger traffic during the period by handling over 52.8 crore (528 million) passengers. The number of passenger handled rose by 12.8% when compared to 46.8 crore (468 million) handled during April-December 2022, Mr. Guganesan said. The passenger revenue increased by 12.1%, compared to ₹4,689.46 crore earned in April-December 2022.
₹50 crore earned from Mangaluru
In December 2023 alone, SR’s Palakkad division earned ₹50 crore freight revenue from its Panambur yard (New Mangalore Port), highlighting the significance of a well-managed and robust railway network.
The earnings was the first instance in its history of substantial revenue generation. The earnings could be attributed to the successful operation of 204 loaded rakes, comprising 10,670 wagons. The efforts culminated in the transportation of 6.97 lakh tonnes of goods, including coal, pet coke, fertilisers and edible oils.
Divisional Railway Manager Arun Kumar Chaturvedi said through efficient operations, strategic planning and a focus on customer satisfaction, the division has not only met, but surpassed expectations. The financial milestone was not just a numerical achievement, it symbolises the division’s role in fostering economic prosperity, power security, and agricultural and infrastructure development, especially in northern Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
