Overcoming the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, the Waltair Division of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) is making steady progress in various spheres, apart from recording remarkable growth in loading of freight, during the first five months of the present fiscal, compared to last year.
The originating goods loading in the first five months (April to August) this year is 26.71 million tonnes as against 19.89 MT registered during the same period in the last fiscal, registering a growth of 34.29%. The freight revenue increased to ₹3,090 crore from ₹2,316 crore during the corresponding period last year. Divisional Railway Manager Anup Kumar Satpathy gave full credit to the Team Waltair for the achievement, at a media conference, here on Friday.
On the passenger front, the originating passengers were 2.89 million in the first five months and the revenue was ₹112.67 crore. The parcel traffic was 20,192 tonnes this year as against 7,479 tonnes last year, registering a growth of 169%. The revenue of ₹774 lakh, this year, registered a growth of 172% over the corresponding period last year.
Mango traffic
A total of 10,379 tonnes of mango traffic was loaded by the division, this year, as against 4,330 tonnes loaded during the corresponding period in the last fiscal. The revenue increased to ₹4.61 crore this year from ₹1.88 crore last year, registering 145% growth. The total revenue of the division in the period was ₹3,244.45 crore as against ₹2,380.86 crore last year. The DRM said despite the pandemic threat, the division has operated 29 Kisan Special trains to provide hassle-free, sale and speedy transport for agriculture produce.
Oxygen express
The division was the first in the country to operate the first ‘Oxygen loaded Rail On-Rail Off (Ro-RO)’ oxygen express. The train, carrying seven tankers of Liquid Medical Oxygen, left Visakhapatnam on April 22, 2021. Three tankers were unloaded at Nagpur and four at Nasik in Maharashtra. The joint efforts by the Waltair Division and the RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, was meant to save the lives of COVID-19 patients in Maharashtra.
LHB coaches
Mr. Satpathy said that E Co R was giving top priority to the conversion of conventional coaches into LHB coaches, which provide better comfort and safety to passengers. At present, six long-distance trains, operated by the division, were being run with LHB coaches. He also briefed on the innovative facilities created at the Visakhapatnam Railway Station like the Robotic Spa, ‘Pandemic Preventive Gear Vending’ kiosk, parcel packing and door-to-door pick up facility and e-bike and e-car rentals.
Replying to queries, the DRM said that more Vistadome coaches would be received by the division in the near future.
