Date:15/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/02/15/stories/2006021501040700.htm

Back SER freight earnings up 33 pc in April-Jan

Our Bureau

Kolkata , Feb. 14

SOUTH-EASTERN Railway (SER) has achieved 17 per cent growth in freight loading, resulting in higher revenue earnings, during the April-January period of the current fiscal.

SER officials said that the improved performance has come about despite traffic diversion in the Rourkela area of Chakradharpur Division.

According to an official statement, SER loaded 70.14 million tonnes of revenue-earning freight during the period under review, which was 10.25 mt more than the corresponding previous period.

This has resulted in higher originating freight earnings of Rs 3,245.40 crore, an increase of Rs 797.83 crore or 33 per cent.

According to SER, the major contributor for this higher freight traffic was loading of raw materials for various steel plants.

During the period, it achieved loading of 20.40 mt of raw materials to the steel plants, 3.34 mt more than earlier.

The other components of improved loading were 16.24 mt of general merchandise, 15.84 mt of coal, 6.41 mt of finished products from steel plants, 5.65 mt of export ore, 3.84 mt of cement, and 1.27 mt of POL (petroleum, oil, and lubricants).