The railways have initiated computerisation of parcel management system covering areas like booking, loading and delivery to improve its efficiency in Thiruvananthapurm railway division.
The computer-aided modern facility proposed is to be introduced at seven stations in the division initially, railway sources told The Hindu . An IT initiative of Indian railways, the pilot project was implemented at seven stations in Delhi-Howrah Corridor.Reduction in time for weighment and booking, advance loading guidance according to availability of space thereby optimum use of available space and control on overloading, prior information about the inward traffic, loading according to priority, web-enabled to know about latest position of the parcel, dynamic management tool and reduction in claims are the highlights of the facility.
The facility will have booking and delivery modules, loading and unloading modules, demurrage and wastage calculation, printing of Bar Code labels on packages and scanning, on Line Status and tracking and over-carriage and undercarriage position. The parcel management system close on the heels of introducing Freight operations Information system (FOIS) at 29 locations in division.
In spite of being a passenger-oriented division there has been a steady growth of parcel and freight earnings. The quantum of parcel traffic moved from the division was substantial. The parcel earnings for 2010-11 was Rs 19.03 crore, sources said.
Railway sources said the division is the second highest earner for Southern railway zone based in Chennai. This division earned a total amount of Rs.854.67 crore in the financial year 2010-11 compared to Rs.836.81 crore for the corresponding previous year showing an increase of 2.13 per cent more than last year.
In passenger front, the division carried 98.1 million passengers for 2010-11 as against 95.9 million for 2009-10. The passenger earnings have shown an increase of Rs.38 crore compared to the previous year with the total earnings of Rs.584.95 crore.
The Division earned Rs 209.05 crore in freight traffic and carried a tonnage of 3.12 million tones. Intensive ticket checking duly involving RPF has resulted substantial growth in Ticket Checking earnings, also reducing the number of cases of ticket less travel.
The Railway week celebrations will take place at the Railway Divisional office here on Thursday. Rajiv Dutt Sharma, Divisional Railway Manager, will be the Chief Guest and will distribute the Railway week awards to the meritorious officials. Incidentally this year marks the completion of 150 years of railways in Kerala, which happened on 12th March 1861 between Beypore and Tirur.
