Rising Coal Usage Sees Rly Netting Rs 1,528cr More On Coal

The Railways has earned an additional freight income of Rs 1,325 crore on account of a 12.87 per cent increase in coal consumption by the power sector during the April-December period of the current fiscal as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Altogether, the Railways earned Rs 1,528 crore more on coal transportation to the different sectors than it did during April-December last year.

While most of the increased revenue has accrued from the hike in freight rates clamped this year, some of it has been due to the 7 per cent increase in coal transportation over the April-December period last year. The Railways moved 153 million tonnes of coal, earning Rs 7,013.70 crore in this period against 143 tonnes and Rs 5,485 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal.

The additional earnings on account of transportation of coal to powerhouses has been offset by a reduction of 14 per cent in coal movement to washeries and a reduction of six per cent to steel plants.

Fertiliser movement in the nine months ending December, provided the Railways with a 39.5 per cent increase in freight income as compared to the corresponding period last year.

The Railways moved 20 million tonnes of fertilisers and earned Rs 647 crore during April-December this year. The figures for the same period last year are 15 tonnes and Rs 464 crore, respectively.

Movement of petrol, oil and lubricants increased 7.4 per cent from 21 million tonnes to 22.64 million tonnes.

Earnings for the Railways on this account, increased from Rs 1,510 crore to Rs 1,823 crore, a huge increase of 20 per cent after taking into account the hike in freight rates.

Even in the case of iron & steel, where transportation dropped in terms of tonnage from 8.69 million tonnes last year to 8.53 tonnes this year, there has been a slight increase in earnings from Rs 880 crore to Rs 910 crore due to the hiked freight rates.

Container traffic increased by 10.58 per cent, from 4.68 million tonnes last year to 5.18 million tonnes this year, resulting in an increase in freight income from Rs 198 crore to Rs 244 crore.

Transportation of food grains actually f ell by 7 per cent from 21.25 million tonnes to 19.75 million tonnes.

However, freight income on this score went up 8.88 per cent, from Rs 878 crore to Rs 955 crore.

Raw material despatched to steel plants dropped by 1.84 per cent to 27.94 million tonnes, resulting in a marginal increase in freight income, from Rs 615 crore to Rs 677 crore, despite the steep increase in freight rates.