Railways to focus on freight & private investment

NEW DELHI: As passenger movement remains curtailed, railways will now focus on maximising freight movement to push its earnings. The national transporter is also getting ready to lease out traffic routes and parcel trains to attract private investment.
Though the Indian Railways is operating 230 special mail and express trains, overall 76% of the capacity is being utilized, Railway Board member (traffic) P S Mishra said on Monday. Earlier in the day, railway minister Piyush Goyal also said these trains are not going full as people are still hesitant to travel.
Speaking at a web-based event organized by industry lobby group, CII, Goyal said on Sunday, railways were able to move about 95%cent of the freight which it did on June 21 last year. “So, we are just 5% down what was on June 21, 2019. If we take June as a whole, we are about 8% down, from June 1 to 21 in terms of freight loading. I believe that by July, we should be at par and I am looking for growth from August-September onwards, the minister said.
He also said that on June 21 last year the freight trains were moving at nearly 23 kmph and on Sunday their speed was around 42 kmph.
Mishra told reporters that while during April and May freight loading was subdued, things have improved significantly in June. He said more than 90% of last year’s loading has been achieved and the movement of steel, cement, food grains, fertilizers and other goods is more than last year’s corresponding period.
He said while loading of food grain has increased by 84% and it’s likely to continue, cement loading has food grain have been 18% more than last year. The loading of fertilizer has also been more than that of last year.
“Loading of coal will also increase and this is expected to be at same level in Q3 and Q4,” Mishra said. He added that thermal power plants have coal stock sufficient for 28 days.
Goyal told private investors that there are huge opportunities for businesses in the sector. “Private sector can support in a million ways... I am going to lease out new routes, in the sense that I am going to say that okay you identify the route you want to set up a train service.”
He said the private sector can look at an elevated corridor along the national highways as land procurement would not be a challenge there.