Madurai railway division earns Rs 1.88 crore through freight traffic in a day

Madurai railway division has earned Rs 1.88 crore through freight transport in a day, which is the highest single day record for the division.

The record revenue achievement was clocked on January 29 by loading 19,367 tonnes of goods in 306 wagons. Goods and Services Tax (GST) of Rs 8.68 lakh was realised through freight earnings on that day.

According to a statement from the division issued on Sunday, this includes loading of chemical manures from Tuticorin, imported coal from Tuticorin harbour, charcoal from Manamadurai and tractors from Vadipatti to realise freight earnings of Rs. 1,87,98,302 on that day.

Twenty-five modified goods wagons laden with 175 tractors at tractors per wagon were dispatched from Vadipatti to Benapole Railway station in Bangladesh. This is the second time a similar consignment of tractors has been sent from the division to Benapole in this fiscal year. The tractor consignment on Friday brought revenue of Rs 23.16 lakh.

Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) has laid a goods siding from Thiruparankundram to Kappalur for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) storage point to facilitate transportation of petroleum products up to the point of the consignee’s premises.

Trial run has been conducted on this new goods siding recently, thereby increasing the prospects of freight earnings. Railway officials said that an additional modern goods shed has been opened at Gangaikondan Railway station with add on facilities to mitigate the traffic congestion in Tirunelveli city.

Officials hoped that these factors would pave way for increasing revenue through freight transport at a time when revenues through passenger movement is far away from limping back to normalcy due to the Covid-19 pandemic.