Western Railway is constantly exploring new avenues to tap the freight traffic. In a latest achievement in this field, WR has achieved the best ever loading in the month of September, 2020. This success in loading was achieved due to continuous monitoring at various levels by Shri Alok Kansal – General Manager of Western Railway, who has personally taken interest to initiate effective steps including formation of Business Development Units & suitable implementation of freight incentives to attract new freight business.
- According to a press release issued by Shri Sumit Thakur- Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Rly, in spite of the constraints arisen due to Covid-19, WR is doing well in terms of freight traffic.
- Western Railway achieved numerous milestones in freight performance in the month of September, 2020. It achieved a loading of 6.94 million tonnes during the month.
- The loading is 6% more than the loading of 6.54 million tonnes during the corresponding month of last year.
- Cumulative loading during the period April to September, 2020 is 34.79 million tonnes.
- Western Railway achieved best ever average loading of 4673 wagons per day in the month of September 2020, surpassing the earlier best was of average 4601 wagons inMarch 2019.
- Best ever loading in a single day too was achieved on 30th September 2020 with 5685 wagons, as against 5429 wagons on 10th September 2020.
- Container loading too was at its best, with 1871 wagons/day in September 2020, as compared to the previous best of 1846 wagons/day in April, 2020.
- Auto rake loading was 39 rakes, Mini rake loading 204 rakes, Two point rake loading of 437 rakes, 2833 crack trains and 1076 rakes of Jumbo rakes.
- All these surpassed their previous best figures to achieve the new milestones.
- WR has also achieved best ever single day loading in Jumbo rakes (47 rakes) on 28thSeptember, 2020.
- Shri Thakur stated that Ahmedabad Division of WR has been doing a commendable job, by achieving the best loading in the month of September, 2020.
- An average of 2341 wagons were loaded per day, surpassing the previous best of 2062 in March, 2019.
- Ahmedabad Division has also achieved many more milestones in freight loading in the month of September, 2020.
- Best ever single day loading of 3039 wagons & total 69 rakes was also achieved in this month.
- Earlier the best was 2848 wagons/62 rakes on 31st March, 2019.
- Container loading too was at the best, with average 1254 wagons per day surpassing the previous best of 1061 average wagons per day in July 2019.
- Automobile loading of 919 wagons (35 rakes) was achieved, which was the best, as against the previous best of 559 wagons (21 rakes) achieved in December 2019.
Advance booking of parcel space:
- Shri Thakur further added that the Ministry of Railways, in a recent customer friendly initiative, had permitted 120 days advance booking of parcel space in SLRs & Parcel Vans attached to passenger carrying trains and time-tabled Parcel Special trains.
- This scheme enables major parcel loading parties to plan their logistics in a better manner.
- In continuation to this, Amazon India has booked one VPH carrying 23 tonnes by Train No 00913 Ahmedabad – Shalimar for 18 trips starting from 6th October to 14th November 2020.
- The cumulative freight revenue for these 18 trips will be Rs 20.57 lakh, out of which 10% advance of approx. Rs 2.5 lakh has been paid as per policy.
- Shri Thakur stated that, since 23rd March to 2ndOct, 2020, commodities weighing more than 1.40 lakh tonnes have been transported by Western Rly through its 582 parcel special trains, which mainly included agricultural produce, medicines, fish, milk etc.
- The revenue generated through this transportation, has been about Rs 47.22 crore.
- During this period, 98 milk special trains were run by Western Rly, with a load of about 74 thousand tonnes and 100% utilization of the wagons.
- Similarly, 437 Covid-19 special parcel trains with a load of more than 44 thousand tonnes were also run to transport various essential commodities.
- In addition to this, 47 indented rakes carrying almost 21 thousand tonnes were also run with almost 100% utilization.
- During the lockdown period from 22nd March till 2nd Oct, 2020, total 16,786 rakes of goods trains have been used by WR to supply essential commodities amounting to 35.36 million tonnes.
- 32,953 freight trains have been interchanged with other zonal railways, in which 16,479 trains were handed over and 16,474trains taken over at different interchange points.
- The revenue generated is Rs 4453.60 crore.
- On 3rd Oct, 2020, one Parcel Special train left from Porbandar to Shalimar and an indentrake left from Karambeli to New Guwahati.
Source: Western Railway-Press Release | Image Credit (representational): MoR
