Bhubaneswar: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has set a new benchmark in freight transportation by achieving the fastest-ever loading of 100.57 million tons (MT) of freight in 148 days during the current fiscal year so far.
This marks a significant milestone not only for ECoR but for Indian Railways as a whole, showcasing unparalleled efficiency in freight management, ECoR said in a press release on Tuesday.
In comparison, ECoR had taken 152 days to reach the same figure in the 2023-24. As of August 26, 2024, the Railway recorded a 3.37% increase in freight loading, with 3.282 million tons more loaded than in the corresponding period of the previous year, when 97.288 MT was loaded.
This exceptional achievement is credited to the remarkable performance of all three divisions under ECoR’s jurisdiction—Khurda Road, Waltair, and Sambalpur. Each Divisional Railways of ECoR has significantly contributed to this success with diverse freight categories including:
• Coal: 60.93 MT (including 22.449 MT of imported coal)
• Raw Material for Steel Plants: 3.812 MT
• Iron & Steel: 8.168 MT
• Iron Ore: 12.153 MT
• Cement: 32.873 MT
• Food Grains: 1.076 MT
• Fertilizer: 2.284 MT
• POL (Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants): 1.24 MT
• Freight in Containers: 2.151 MT
• Other Cargo: 8.419 MT
Key contributors to this freight milestone include major industrial hubs and ports such as Talcher, Paradip, Dhamara, Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Keonjhar, the KK Line, steel plants, and aluminum plants within ECoR’s jurisdiction.
In terms of Division-wise contributions, Khurda Road Division led with 64.32 MT of freight, followed by Waltair Division with 27.675 MT and Sambalpur Division with 8.575 MT, the release added.
