New Delhi, 07 September: India Railways have broken last year’s record of more than 10 percent increase in freight and earnings despite the spread of coronavirus infection across the country resulting in the Central Government has enforced nationwide lockdown to restrain the transmission of the virus.
A railway ministry spokesperson said on Monday that the railways had moved 19.19 million tonnes of freight till September 6 this year, an increase of 10.41 percent (1.81 million tonnes) over the same period last year. Last year there was freight (17.38 million tonnes).
During this period, Indian Railways earned Rs 1836.15 crores from freight, which are 129.68 crores more than the same period last year (Rs 1706.47 crores).
Railways have shipped 8.11 million tonnes of coal, 2.59 million tonnes of iron ore, 1.2 million tonnes of food grains, 1.03 million tonnes of fertilizer and 1.05 million tonnes (excluding clinker) of cement this year.
In fact, the railways are making many concessions to promote freight. It is to be noted that the improvement in freight will be institutionalized and will be included in the upcoming zero based timetable.
