Title - NORTHERN RAILWAY ACHIEVES MILE STONE IN ORIGINATING FREIGHT TRAFFIC

27% Incremental Growth of Freight Traffic o­n Northern Railway during first Quarter of current financial year.

          General Manager, Northern Railway, Shri Vijay Kumar Gupta, reviewed the Quarterly Performance (April-June 2013) of Northern Railway o­n 15.07.2013.In the meeting held in Northern Railway Head Quarter, Baroda House, quarterly performance of Northern Railway was reviewed with Principal Heads of Departments and all Divisional Railway Managers.Northern Railway has achieved many mile stones during the first Quarter of the current financial year.Northern Railway achieved 13.54 Million Tons of originating freight loading during April-June 2013 compared with 10.66 Million Tons achieved during the corresponding Quarter of last year. Northern Railway has, thus, registered a significant improvement by achieving incremental growth of 27% (2.88 Million Tons) over last year.This incremental growth of originating freight traffic is the highest achieved by any other Zonal Railways o­n Indian Railway during the first Quarter.  Northern Railway has undertaken 06.85 Million Tons of Food grains loading, 1.81 Million Tons of Fertilizers loading, 1.77 Million Tons of POL loading, 0.59 Million Tons of Cement Loading and 2.07 Million Tons of Containerized Cargo.

            It has been able to clear the entire programme of Food grains movement given by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for loading of Food grains from Northern Railway to various destinations in the country.

            The record increase in freight loading has also resulted in record freight earnings of  1996 crore during this Quarter compared with 1349 crore during the corresponding Quarter of last year thereby registering an increase of 48.03% in freight earnings.  There has also been significant overall growth of earnings in all segments i.e. Freight, Passenger, other Coaching and Sundry.  Northern Railway has registered 29.91% growth in overall earnings o­n originating basis by achieving 3897 crore of total revenue during April-June this year compared with3000 crore achieved during the corresponding period of last year.

            Despite record freight loading involving heavy freight operations, Northern Railway’s Passenger operations has also set new mile stones during the first Quarter by achieving 88% punctuality of Mail / Express trains compared with 77% achieved during the corresponding Quarter of last year.  Incidentally, Northern Railway undertakes running of 500 Mail / Express trains o­n a daily basis which is the highest o­n Indian Railways and involves intensive participations of various departments and infrastructures.

            Many mega projects have been completed during the first Quarter including new line between Chandigarh – Ludhianaand the important extension of Railway line between Qazigund – Banihal in J&K State.  Qazigund-Banihal extension involving 11.2 Kms long Railway Tunnel, was dedicated to the nation by the Hon’ble Prime Minister o­n 26th June, 2013.  The extension of train services from Qazigund – Banihal connecting Jammu with Kashmir Valley have become most popular in Valley among the local public and also provides quicker and economical mode of transport from Banihal to Valley which is much longer and expensive by Roadways.

            General Manager reviewed the performance in all spheres of Northern Railway working with Principal Heads of Departments and all Divisional Railway Managers of Northern Railway through Video Conferencing.  New targets were outlined and strategies worked out to sustain the outstanding performance and also to complete many targeted works during the remaining months of the current financial year including planning and introducing all the 42 new trains announced in the Budget 2013-14.  Planning for major infrastructure related works of terminals, line capacity augmentation, Railway Electrifications and new lines were reviewed.

            Various arrangements made by the Divisions during the summer rush between April-June this year including running of special trains, providing additional passenger amenities and checks and drives in Reservation, Booking offices & catering in trains were widely appreciated by the passengers.

Northern Railway also planned evacuation of stranded passengers from Uttrakhand by running of 10 special trains from Haridwar to various destinations in the country and by making all necessary arrangements at Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun and New Delhi Railway Stations.These efforts have also been widely appreciated by the public and media.

            The Performance Review Meeting was attended by Sh. M.Jamshed, C.O.M., Shri Harit, P.C.E., Shri Ashwini Lohani, C.M.E., Shri Akhil Agarwal, C.S.T.E., Shri Haranand, C.S.C., Shri Garg, C.A.O./C, and C.S.O., F.A. & C.A.O., C.S.E., and other concerned HODs.