Anticipating a loss of up to ₹40,000 crore from passenger train services due to COVID-19, the Indian Railways has set a target to increase freight loading by about 50% to mitigate some impact of the pandemic.
“Our target is that this year, we should be able to get something around 50% more [freight loading]... it’s a very ambitious target, but the way Railways Officers and employees have worked in this very difficult period, I am very sure that we will be able to achieve that target,” Railways Board Chairman V. K. Yadav said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a virtual conference, the Chairman added that the Railways is expecting to earn only 10%-15% of its usual annual earnings from the passenger segment. On an average, the Railways earn about ₹50,000 crore from the passenger segment and around ₹1,30,000 crore from freight.
“The passenger segment is not doing well. We are running only 230 trains, and in these, the occupancy is about 75%...we cannot foresee how the COVID-19 situation unfolds, but certainly the earnings would be very less… we are hardly expecting 10%-15% of the usual passenger segment revenues. So, whatever we are going to lose from the passenger segment, that is, ₹35,000-₹40,000 crore, that we will try to make up from freight,” Mr. Yadav said.
According to data shared by Railways, total freight loading stood at 1,223.17 MT (million tonnes) in 2018-19, and 1210.46 MT in 2019-20. Railway Board Member (Traffic) P. S. Mishra said the dip in loading was due to the impact of COVID-19 on railways operations in the last 15 days of the March 2020.
In the current financial year, the Railways has loaded 322 MT of freight (April-July 2020) as against 394 MT in the same period last year. On July 27, 2020, the total freight loading was 3.13 MT, which is marginally higher than last year for the same date.
Mr. Yadav noted that the Railways has taken a number of steps to push freight, including introduction of time-tabled parcel trains and the setting up of multi-disciplinary business development units at the Zonal Level.
“We have already doubled the average speed of freight trains. We have also identified critical goods sheds and will improve their condition in the next one month, including roads and lighting. We are envisaging airports-like lighting for all the good sheds so that they can work 24 hours,” Mr. Yadav said.
Vande Bharat trains
The Chairman on Tuesday also clarified that the 44 Vande Bharat trains in the pipeline will be operational in the next 2-3 years. This statement follows an internal communication by the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory stating that it would complete the manufacturing of 44 Vande Bharat trains only by 2027.
“These are some of the internal communication, which does not give the clear picture...The Indian Railways has already taken a decision, not today, but 3-4 months back, that these 44 Vande Bharat trains will be manufactured by all three units — Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Modern Coach Factory (MCF) and Rail Coach Factory (RCF), and if you divide these 44 trains into three different units, the time taken will almost be reduced by one-third,” Mr. Yadav said.
He noted that all three production units had increased their efficiency over the last 2-3 years.
“....yes, we had reviewed the time-frame…[but] We are making a coordinated timeline so that all these 44 trains start running on the track between two to three years....Once the tender is finalised, we will be working out the definite timeline in consultation with all the three production units and we will be giving the definite timeline to you,” he said.
