Coal continues to account for a major portion of commodities being loaded in Tiruchi railway division in the current fiscal too. The share of coal in the total freight earnings in Tiruchi division is over 70%.
Railway sources said coal loading in Tiruchi division in the last five months of the current fiscal (April to August) alone was 4.1 million tonnes. Coal was being loaded at Karaikal port and at Neyveli and transported to Mettur dam, Puduchathiram private thermal plant and to another private plant. The earnings from coal loading was a little over ₹250 crore during the same period.
Coal topped among other commodities in the division during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years too with the total revenue generated in respect of loading alone exceeding ₹ 550 crore. The sources said food grains was second in respect of freight loading in the division in the current fiscal. Food grains loading was 0.95 million tonnes generating revenue of ₹45.9 crore. The share of cement in the total freight earnings of the division was ₹ 22.84 crore with its loading being 0.35 million tonnes.
The sources said freight earnings recorded in the first five months of the current fiscal was ₹340.19 crore. In an effort to boost cement loading, the Tiruchi railway division recently signed the first Gati Shakti Rail Multi Modal Cargo Terminal agreements with The Ramco Cements Limited which has plants at Ariyalur and Ichchangadu.
Industrial salt was the new commodity to be added to the freight basket of the division in the current fiscal. Loading of salt for industrial use was resumed after a gap of 20 years in the division. Railway officials expect salt loading to recommence from Agasthiampalli in the current year once gauge conversion works were completed in that stretch.
