पूजा सुपरफास्ट - हर रोज़ चलूँ मैं तेरे साथ मंज़िल मंज़िल - by Shubham Yadav

BENGALURU: While Indian Railways plans to complete electrification of all lines in the country by 2023, only 731km (20%) of the 3,566km track network in South Western Railway has been electrified so far.

This means SWR will have to electrify 2,835km in the next three years. Complete electrification is likely to push up speed of trains by 10-15% and provide seamless operations by eliminating detention of trains due to change in traction from diesel to electric and vice-versa. It will also reduce dependence on petroleum-based fuels.
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minister Piyush Goyal recently said in the Lok Sabha: "Total broad gauge route in Indian railways is 63,631km. Of this, 39,866km has been electrified as on April 2020." During the session, he said they are planning to undertake electrification of 6,000km each in 2020-21 and 2021-22, 6,500km in 2022-23 and 5,265km in 2023-24.

SWR sources said electrification work is likely to be completed only by 2025. "Work is progressing fast but it is difficult to meet the 2023 deadline because of various factors like Covid-19," said a source. Asked about SWR's poor record of electrification, he said: "Earlier, the railways was giving priority to routes that witnessed high freight movement. It's also difficult to take up work in the Ghat section."

SWR has electrified routes like Bengaluru-Mysuru, Bengaluru-Jolarpettai, Yelahanka-Dharmavaram, Ballari-Kariganur and Toranagallu-Ranjitpura. While it has commissioned electrification of Byappanahalli-Anekal, commissioner of rail safety (CRS) will inspect the remaining Anekal-Hosur section soon. "This year, we are planning to commission electrification of sections like Yelahanka-Devanahalli (23km),Chikkabanavara-Banasandra (105km), Hotgi-Kalgurki (128km), Ghataprabha-Kudachi (47km), Hubballi-Londa (90km), Kariganur-Hulkoti (102km), Kariganur-Harlapur (71km), Talaku-Chitradurga (50km) and Periyanagathunai-Palakkodu (50km)," said E Vijaya, chief public relations Officer, SWR.
Central Organisation for Railway Electrification, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, Indian Railway Construction Organisation, Rail India Technical and Economic Services Limited and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited are taking up electrification projects. Rail activists have been demanding electrification of routes in Karnataka be expedited. The project will also help SWR replace DEMU with MEMU, which will mainly help suburban passengers.
Of the 23,765km yet to be electrified across the country, Northeast Frontier Railway has to undertake work on 3,793km and North Western Railway on 3,282km. SWR fares the third worst in rail electrification. In contrast, East Coast Railway, headquartered in Bhubaneswar, has completed electrification of its entire 3,853km network.

Despite Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian Railways has said its freight revenue earning was 13.54% in September this year compared to the same month last year.

Freight loading increased to 102.12 million tonnes in September this year from 88.53 million tonnes in the same month last year, a jump of 15.35 %. Due to this, the Railways earned Rs 9,896.86 crorein September this year, an increase of Rs 1,180.57 crore compared to last year’s earnings for the same month, the Railways said in a statement.
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The increase in freight revenue is 13.54%, it said.

The freight basket for September this year included 42.89 million tonnes of coal, 13.53 million tonnes of iron ore, 6.3 million tonnes of foodgrains, 5.34 million tonnes of fertilizers, 6.05 million tonnes of cement (excluding clinker), 3.85 million tonnes of clinker, and 3.52 million tonnes of mineral oil.

Earlier in the day, Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav said in a press briefing on Thursday that they were currently working on the National Rail Plan 2030.

According to preliminary studies, the Railways freight loading will be around 2,400 million tonnes by 2024 and by 2030, it will be around 3,200 million tonnes, he said.

Despite Covid-19 pandemic since March, Indian Railways is able to gain lost ground in freight transportation as its freight loading was 4.3% higher in August compared to the same period last year. Indian Railways has achieved a record loading of foodgrains, 80% more than last year.

The railways also increased the speed of freight trains to enable it to the speedy delivery of goods. The average speed of freight trains saw around a 72% increase in the year 2020-21 as compared to last year. August 2020 saw an increase in the speed...
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of freight trains of about 94% compared to August 2019, said the railways.

With railways taking the number of initiatives to boost the freight, loading was August 2020 (till 27th August 2020) is 4.3% higher, compared to last year for the same month. "In the month of August 2020 (till 27th August 2020) the total freight loading was 81.33 million tonnes which is higher than last year for the same month (77.97 million tonnes)," said railways in a statement.

With regular passengers trains suspended, the national transporter is taking a number of initiatives to improve the earning from freight.

Apart from offering discounts in freight movement to attract freight, the railways also started fixed timetabled parcel train services with halts in major railway stations. To promote freight services and attract clients, the railways has also set up multi-disciplinary business development units (BDU) at its zonal and divisional levels.

The Indian Railways said Thursday it has made a "remarkable turnaround" of 13.54 per cent in its freight revenue earnings in September this year when compared to the same month last year despite coronavirus-related challenges.

It said freight loading increased to 102.12 million tonnes in September this year from 88.53 million tonnes in the same month last year, a jump of 15.35 per cent.
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Resultantly, the Railways earned Rs 9,896.86 crore in September this year, an increase of Rs 1,180.57 crore compared to last year's earnings for the same month.

The increase in freight revenue is 13.54 per cent, it said.

"In a remarkable turnaround, Indian Railways has earned more revenue in the month of September as compared to last year in spite of covid related challenges. Covid-19 has been used by Railways an opportunity to improve all round efficiencies and performances,” it added in a statement.

The freight basket for September this year included 42.89 million tonnes of coal, 13.53 million tonnes of iron ore, 6.3 million tonnes of foodgrains, 5.34 million tonnes of fertilizers, 6.05 million tonnes of cement (excluding clinker), 3.85 million tonnes of clinker, and 3.52 million tonnes of mineral oil.

Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav said in a press briefing Thursday that they were currently working on the National Rail Plan 2030.

According to preliminary studies, the railways freight loading will be around 2,400 million tonnes by 2024 and by 2030, it will be around 3,200 million tonnes, he said.

"It is being envisaged that in 2030, out of the 3,200 MT loading, 1,400 MT will be coal, which is less than 50 per cent," said Yadav, indicating that he expects a variety of goods to be included in Railways' freight basket.