Visakhapatnam: Waltair division posts 9.33% growth in freight

Visakhapatnam: Waltair division registered a growth of 9.33 per cent in freight as it achieved 66.88 million tonne in 2021-22 as against 61.17 MT in the last financial year. It earned revenue from loading to the tune of Rs 7,902.10 crore as against Rs 7,272.86 crore last year.

Sharing the details with the media, divisional railway manager (DRM) Anup Satpathy said the division had ferried 12.41 million passengers in the financial year, fetching revenue of Rs 415.27 crore, 198 per cent more that last financial year earnings.

With a focus to check ticketless travel, the division conducted intensive ticket checking drives that resulted in tracing out 2.61 lakh cases of ticketless travel, unbooked luggage, irregular tickets. etc.. It led to realisation of Rs 16.02 crore as fare and penalty, the highest ever collection by any division in East Coast Railway, the DRM mentioned.

Through scrap sale, the division earned Rs 113.42 crore, the highest among all divisions in Indian Railways for the year 2021-22.

This apart, additional Vistadome coaches with upgraded LHB rake in Visakhapatnam-Kirandu–Visakhapatnam train were flagged off. Besides, twin escalators on platform No.8 at Visakhapatnam station were commissioned.

Waltair division has recently resumed the supply of bed linen to the passengers as during pre-Covid times. The division bagged six efficiency Shields (coaching depot, finance, personnel, stores, signal and telecom and sports) during the 66th Railway Week celebrations in Bhubaneswar.

Visakhapatnam is the first station in the ECoR to implement the 'one station one product' concept. Along with various innovative passenger amenity measures, the division has kept its focus on bringing down maintenance and housekeeping costs and generating revenue through non-fare revenue.

Further, the DRM said the East Coast Railway Sports Association, Waltair, has organised inter departmental sports mela torch run and cyclothon, among other events, which saw a good turnout.

The first all-women crew coaching train run between Visakhapatnam-Rayagada was flagged off at the Waltair.

Through CSR funds, the division commissioned a 500-litre per minute capacity oxygen generating plant at the divisional Railway Hospital at a cost of Rs.1 crore and with the support of Tech Mahindra, the DRM added.