New wagon scheme proposed to up freight traffic

As part its efforts to get more freight from highways and address shortage of wagons, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today proposed to introduce a modified wagon investment scheme for high-capacity general and special purpose wagons.

Presenting the Railway Budget today, she said the detailed scheme in this regard will be notified later.

Roads currently handle 30 per cent of the freight traffic in the country.

Banerjee also said a policy to permit private operators to invest in infrastructure, on the lines of container train operators, would be made and run special trains for commodities such as automobiles, vegetable oil and petro-chemicals among others.

Taking further the concept of mega-logistics hub announced in her last budget speech, she said Railways have decided to set up automobile and ancillary hubs at 10 locations in the country.

The first of such hubs was launched in Shalimar close to Kolkata last year.

She also said in order to provide "multi-modal door-to- door service" to freight customers, one rake of road-cum-rail vehicle will be introduced on a trial basis.

Further, a premium tatkal service for parcel and freight movement is under consideration of railways, she said.

Railways will also examine the need for special wagons for iron ore, fly ash, automobiles etc, she added.