Freight services and operations have gained traction while passenger service and traffic are picking pace slowly during the graded unlocking.
This was stated by the Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager Rahul Agarwal during the 65th Railway Week celebrations in the city on Wednesday.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every sector of the society and there were tough and challenging times ahead for the railways as well. The division has set a target to double the freight traffic as per the directives of the Railway Board and has constituted Business Development Units at the divisional and sub-divisional level and has been striving hard to increase its freight volume coupled with ease of doing business, said Mr. Agarwal.
The Railway Week is held in April every year to mark the commissioning of the first passenger train serviice on Indian Railways in 1853. However, it was postponed due to the pandemic and the Mysuru Division observed it on Wednesday
Mr. Agarwal also presented awards to employees who excelled in their work during the year 2019-2020. While a total of 63 employees received individual awards, 7 group awards with 69 employees were also conferred on the occasion.
The DRM looked back on the division’s performance during the financial year 2019-20 and said there were no accidents except one yard derailment at a private siding at Ammasandra. The division could achieve over all loading of 8.14 million tonnes for the year 2019-20 as compared to 4.644 million tonnes of the last year (2018-19), an increase of 75%.
This was also the highest every loading by the Mysuru Division, surpassing the previous record of 6.24 million tonnes achieved in the year 2012-13.
The originating earnings in the financial year 2019-20 was ₹844 crore and the year-on-year growth was 29 per cent.
The division also eliminated 30 level crossing gates by constructing Road Under Bridge or Road Over Bridges to enhance public safety while 5 permanent speed restrictions were eliminated and the speed of trains was increased to 100 kmph across 220 route km.
Mr. Agarwal said 48 km of double track was commissioned on Tumakuru-Mallasandra-Gubbi, Davangere-Amaravathi Colony-Harihar and Banasandra-Karadi sections in the division.
The Mysuru Yard remodelling was taken up and completed during the year 2019-2020, a work which was pending since 2008 and re-development of the Mysuru Railway Station was also completed. The renovated and expanded Rail Museum - completely re-engineered in a record time - is a must-see in the tourist’s itinerary.
With a view to providing visitors an opportunity to cherish the memories of their visit to the city as also to promote ‘Made in India’ products, a souvenirs’ and 4 other kiosks have been set up in the circulating area of Mysuru Railway Station, the DRM said.
B. Srinivasulu, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Prashanth Mastiholi, Senior Divisional Personnel Officer, and other branch officers of Mysuru division were present on the occasion.
