The East Coast Railway (ECoR) generated a total revenue of Rs 10,866.28 crore in nine months till December 2016 and recorded increase in loading and carrying passengers during the period.
ECoR General Manager Umesh Singh stated this while extending good wishes to passengers and freight customers on the eve of Republic Day.
“The ECoR recorded loading of 130 million tonnes, 1.6 per cent up from the last year. Total 71.21 million passengers were carried, 1.69 per cent up from last year. Similarly, it generated revenue of Rs 10,866.28 crore approximately in nine months till December,” said Singh. The ECoR’s Operating Ratio at 58.24 per cent is one of the best among all 17 Zonal Railways, he said. Regarding infrastructure development, Singh informed that while another 13 km new line upto Bolgarh Road has been added to Khordha Road-Rajsunakhla (41.5 km), doubling of Jagdalpur-Kumarmaranga-Tokopal (17 km) section and Ghantikal Nidhipur -Naraj Marthapur -Chudangagarh (12.77 Km) and 3rd line work between Jakhapura-Haridaspur (25 km) have been commissioned.
Electrification work between Kerejanga to Boinda ( 25 km) and Boinda to Bamur ( 31 km) have also been commissioned, he said.
He said as many as 11 new stoppages have been provided to different trains. The ECoR has run 740 special trains and augmented capacity of trains by adding 4,331 coaches.
Two escalators at Bhubaneswar stations have been made operational. Seven passenger lifts commissioned at Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. A total of 2,283 bio-toilet tanks fitted in 640 coaches. Ten trains were converted into green trains with zero discharge connecting Puri with other religious places like Rameswaram and Dwarika.
A total of 8.54lakh trees were planted and 60 level crossing gates electrified with solar PV System. For safety and security of passengers, 30 level crossings have been closed, 44 unmanned level crossings have been manned. Three Road Over Bridges have been commissioned.
An amount of Rs 1.5 crore disbursed in the form of scholarship to children of Railway personnel besides many other initiatives, Singh said.