South Central Railway (SCR) running only special express train services ever since the pandemic induced lockdown was lifted last year, has suffered a 93% dip in passenger earnings for 2020-21 with ₹974.24 crore. While this was expected, the previous year (2019-20) earnings was about ₹4.100 crore!
This is reflected in the numbers too with just 24.25 million passengers till March end compared to 363.45 million the previous year. Freight has definitely done better with 95.9 MTs when compared to 109 MTs the previous or the drop has been just 10% with ₹8,372 crore when compared ₹9,339 crore the year before, disclosed General Manager Gajanan Mallya in a virtual media interaction on Friday.
“We wanted to start 10 local train services and had obtained permissions but we backtracked due to rising coronavirus cases as the non-reserved travel could lead to crowding in trains. We are taking steps to keep our running staff and passengers safe by following the prescribed safety protocols. We are planning to complete the vaccination for 45 years and above this month with 12,764 vaccinations done till date for frontline workers,” he said.
About 7,500 personnel tested positive last year and with occupancy of beds reaching 60-70% in Secunderabad, Vijayawada and Tirupati, health facilities are being augmented. “We may consider opening isolation centres if the cases rise further,” said the GM. With just 180 trains running, the space available was used to strengthen safety and infrastructure works during the year, he said insisted there has been no overcrowding in any station urging people not to believe in rumours being floated on the social media.
Works done include the Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) extended to 321 more km spread over 34 stations with high density routes to get priority. Speeds up to 130 kmph were cleared between Duvvada-Vijaywada, Renigunta-Wadi and Secunderabad-Kazipet.
New lines of 42.5 km — Manoharabad – Gajwel (31 km) and Jaklair – Makthal (11.5 km), doubling of 161.5 km (Uppaluru – Gudivada –Moturu & Gudivada – Machilipatnam (68.7 kms), Nallapadu – Perecherla (7.8 kms), Gajjelakonda to Donakonda (12.4 kms), Pendekallu – Eduladodi (8.6 kms), Gollapalli – Shadnagar (30.2 kms), Chigicherla – Zangalapalle (10.7 kms), Taticherla – Garladinne (9.1 kms) and Falaknuma – Umdanagar (14.0 kms).
About 60.4 km of tripling (between Kazipet –Balharshah section and Vijayawada – Gudur section) was done while gauge conversion of 44.4 km between Akola –Akot section. About 750 km track was electrified and 81 manned level crossings were removed, explained Mr. Mallya.
