Railways running behind schedule on electrification

The railways is running behind schedule as far as rail electrification is concerned, the Economic Survey today pointed out, because against the target of 1,000 route kilometres (RKM) this fiscal, only 206 RKM was covered during the April-December, 2010, period.

During the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-12), electrification of 3,500 RKM was planned at an outlay of Rs 3,000 crore. Subsequently, in the mid-term review of the 11th Plan, a revised target of 4,500 RKM was approved.

The survey said that 2,416 RKM was electrified during the first three years of the ongoing Plan and 1,000 and 1,084 RKM was targeted for electrification during 2010-11 and 2011-12, respectively.

An additional fund requirement of Rs 1,000 crore was projected in the mid-term review while increasing the target from 3,500 RKM to 4,500 RKM.

The Survey also pointed out freight loading on the Indian Railways was short of the proportionate target of 605.11 million tonne for the April-December period.

Freight loading on the Indian Railways in April-December this fiscal was 593.43 million tonne, compared to 574.40 million tonne in the same period of the previous year, an increase of 3.31%.

Pointing out the reason for the slow growth in freight loading on the Indian Railways, the survey said, "This was primarily on account of negative growth in iron ore. Iron ore loading has been primarily affected in the current year due to the restrictions imposed by the state governments of Orissa and Karnataka."

"Frequent bandhs by Naxalites affected loading, particularly in the Bailadila sector on the East Coast Railway," it added.