Freight earnings for railways up by over 8%

Railways carried 171.84 million tonnes of freight during April-May

Railways have registered an increase of 8.66% in earnings from freight traffic with their income from it rising to Rs 15,324.25 crore during April-May 2013 compared to Rs 14,102.45 crore in the corresponding period last year.

Railways carried 171.84 million tonnes (MT) of freight during April-May compared to 164.38 MT carried during the same period last year, registering an increase of 4.54%, a Railway Ministry release said today.

In May, the national transporter earned Rs 7,859.22 crore from freight traffic out of which Rs 3,460.63 crore came from transportation of 43.79 MT of coal, followed by Rs 680.29 crore from 10.54 MT of iron ore for exports, steel plants and for other domestic users.

Railways earned Rs 761.79 crore from 8.75 MT of cement, Rs 770.75 crore from 5.18 MT of foodgrains and Rs 480.98 crore from 3.70 MT of petroleum oil and lubricant (POL).

It collected Rs 486.82 crore from 3 MT of Pig iron and finished steel from steel plants, Rs 267.45 crore from 2.72 MT of fertilizers and Rs 111.31 crore from 1.32 MT of raw material for steel plants except iron ore, the release said.

The earnings from container service was Rs 366.16 crore for carrying 3.62 MT goods.

It earned Rs 494.43 crore from 5.54 MT of other goods.