Waltair Division of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has achieved remarkable performance in loading and passenger traffic during the just concluded financial year 2011-12. The division has secured a place among the top four divisions in the Indian Railways.
The total revenue of the division reached an all-time high earning of Rs.4,383.84 crore as against Rs.4,147 crore during 2010-11, showing an overall increase of six per cent. The freight earnings crossed the Rs.4,000-crore mark for the first time by achieving earnings of Rs. 4,049.22 crore.
The improvement in loading was due to increase in fertilizer loading by 31.99 per cent, coal by 10.98 per cent, gypsum by 6.34 per cent and alumina by 5.84 per cent and loading through the Gangavaram Port at 27.26 per cent, Divisional Railway Manager N. Kashinath told a media conference here on Monday.
Loading target
Despite the improved performance, the division fell short of its loading target of 52 million tonnes (2011-12) by a little over 1 million tonne.
Mr. Kashinath attributed the marginal shortfall to the increased Maoist activity in the Dantewada – Kirandul section, leading to the suspension of train movements during night, rail roko agitations in Jagdalpur, and derailments.
Amenities
On the passenger amenities front, several works were completed in the division during 2011-12 financial year.
They include: installation of 25 ‘touch screen systems' (passenger operated railway enquiry) at Visakhapatnam, Duvvada, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam Road, Rayagada, Koraput, Jeypore, and Jagdalpur stations, commissioning of the fourth line between Kothavalasa, Pendurthy and Simhachalam North Stations, which had considerably eased the goods and passenger traffic, commissioning of five Automated Ticket Vending Machines (ATVM s) at Visakhapatnam, two at Vizianagaram and one at Duvvada station, commissioning of the new station building at Kothavalasa with VIP lounge and upper class waiting room, commissioning of new passenger reservation system at Umerkot Post Office under India Post PRS Centre scheme and , renovation of the Damanjodi and Koraput stations.
Additional Divisional Railway Manager C. Madhusudhana Rao, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager H.L. Luwang, Senior Divisional Operations Manager H.S. Bajwa and Senior Divisional Engineer (coordination) Victor Joseph were among those who were present at the media conference.
