Southern Railway clocks Rs 7,670 crore revenue in FY 2017-18

CHENNAI: The Southern Railway has registered over Rs 7,000 crore in revenue last financial year, which includes earnings generated through transportation of goods.

"Southern Railway has earned Rs 7,670 crore approximately during 2017-18, as gross earnings registered a growth of 2.1 per cent over last year," a press release said.

Revenue increased through transportation of cargo by 4.7 per cent to Rs 2,739 crore during last financial year. Listing out some of the achievements, the official release said, it eliminated 158 unmanned level-crossings during 2017-18.

"As on date there is no unmanned level-crossing in Kerala," it said adding such crossings do not exist in Chennai, Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram divisions.

As part of measures to enhance the safety of railway bridges, the Railway has introduced remotely-operated robotic vehicle for the first time to take up underwater inspection of bridges, the release said.

For the current financial year 2018-19, the Southern Railway said, Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd, a joint venture company between Ministry of Railways and Government of Kerala has become operational.

"The company is in the process of finalising a detailed project report for taking up major railway projects," the release added.

On the initiatives for doubling with electrification projects in Tamil Nadu, Southern Railway said the doubling of Villupuram-Dindigul section covering 270 kms has been undertaken at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore.

Stating that doubling of electrification on the Manaparai-Kalpattichatram and Kalpattichatram-Tamaraipadi routes were commissioned last financial year, the release said, adding with this the entire Chennai to Madurai stretch covering 495 kms has been doubled.

Aimed at boosting railway infrastructure, Southern Railway would electrify a 160-km stretch of Madurai-Tuticorin at a cost of Rs 1,200 crore and another Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated for doubling of electrification between Vanchi-Maniyachi-Nagercoil section.

At the Tambaram Railway station here, a new terminal for coaches has started functioning and more trains have been proposed to be operated to South from Tambaram.

Southern Railway is presently refurbishing 11 double decker coaches which include provision of wi-fi entertainment with LCD display and a pantry.

"The coaches are expected to ply between Coimbatore and Bengaluru shortly," it added.