SER to extend freight IT backbone

The system helped SER improve wagon turn-around rate.

FOIS enabled freight customers to access to information regarding status of consignments in transit for speedy loading and unloading.

The rakes were tracked through transit on a central information system maintained by CRIS rail information technology wing. Wagon turn-around rate improved to 1.5 days from loading to unloading in 2007-08 from a 2.1 days last year.

This, coupled with management and monitoring of freight, enabled SER register a 12 per cent growth in freight traffic for FY08 at 111 million ton (mnt) compared to the previous fiscal. Revenue rose to Rs5,443 crore during the period from Rs 4,877 crore in 2006-07.

SER would expand FOIS by adding terminals at places like Jhantipahari, Anara, Chandil, Mahulabani, Burragarh in Adra division, Badampahar, Chandiposi, Gamaria, Rangra in Chakradharpur division, and Kolaghat, Nilgiri siding, Tata Metallic Gokulpur, Tata Chemicals Durgachak, Sankrail goods terminal in the Kharagpur division.

FOIS was expanded between 2003 to 2007 and around Rs 2.34crore spent till date on 67 terminals, with Rs80 lakh sanctioned for this year. Of the 67 terminals, 49 generated railway receipts (RRs) at the siding cutting out physical transfer of RRs.

More than 10 new terminals will have RR generation facility. Of the new 23, around 20 per cent would use VSAT (very small aperture terminal) and the rest terminals based on optical fiber communication.

SER aimed to link the system with electronic transfers from customer's account to railways. It had around 300 freight customers, and would tap a bank for this.