The Mysuru Division of the South Western Railway has shown signs of increase in freight traffic movement following the graded unlocking to open up economic activities that were shut down due to the pandemic.
The figures for September 2020 indicate a gradual turnaround and the division loaded 213 rakes compared to 210 that were loaded in September 2019. and this trend is expected to continue for the remaining period of the financial year. For October 2020, there were as many as four rakes comprising 109 wagons that were loaded from Kadakola on the outskirts of Nanjangud where a major two-wheeler manufacturing factory is located. Mysuru Division also loaded 534 wagons of freight on Saturday which is the highest single-day loaded so far. The previous highest loading was 479 wagons for any single day.
Sources in the Railways said the division loaded 0.69 tonnes of freight in October 2020 as against 0.59 tonnes of freight loaded in October 2019, an increase of 16% on a monthly basis. This is an indicator of buoyancy in the economy. The revenue generated through freight was ₹38.44 crore in September 2020 as against ₹35 crore in September 2019. However, the half yearly cumulative load for the period April to September is low because of the lockdown. As against 1,289 rakes that were loaded in 2019 during April-September, 751 rakes were loaded during the current financial year.
The main freight transported by the division is iron ore. Tthe Railways managed to secure confirmed orders from Mysore Minerals Enterprises, Chitradurga, and the ores are transported to Tornagallu.
During the lockdown period, the Railways launched the Business Development Unit in July with the objective of giving a thrust to freight traffic and enabling ease of doing business. The objective was to increase and double the freight traffic post-lockdown and this is paying dividends, sources said. The major freight customers for the division include players in the iron and steel, mining, cement and agriculture sectors.
The traction in the movement of cement, iron ore, fertilizers, etc., are indicators of growth in the economy and efforts will be doubled to give a boost to freight traffic, the sources added.
But the shadow of the pandemic continues to loom large on the passenger earning segment as the number of people travelling has dipped and it is a long haul ahead to return to the pre-pandemic level of traffic. As against ₹22.33 crore earned in September 2019, the division earned ₹2.19 crore in September 2020 in the passenger segment.
The passenger earnings will continue to remain low till normalcy returns and all the trains mentioned in the railway timetable resume operations.
