Processing .....please wait.. 
The article has been forwarded.... 
South Western Railway tops in traffic, revenue growth
Tuesday, 02 January 2007, 18:30 IST
Bangalore: The South Western Railway (SWR), one of the youngest railway zones, has registered a record growth in freight and passenger traffic in the first eight months (April-November) of the current fiscal (2006-07).
SWR posted a revenue of 
21.98 billion from April to November as against 16.18 billion in the corresponding period the last fiscal - a growth of 34.5 percent while the all-India growth was 15.7 percent in the same period, said SWR general manager T.N. Perti.
"Revenue from freight traffic increased to 16.44 billion during the first eight months as against 11.92 billion, registering year-on-year (YoY) growth of 37.4 percent. The all-India growth in the same period was 16.84 percent.
"Similarly, passenger traffic generated 4.41 billion as against 3.75 billion, registering YoY growth of 17.7 percent. Revenue from other coach services such as parcels and non-core operations yielded 500 million in the same period as against 210 million last year," Perti said.
Passenger traffic grew by 16.24 percent up to November as against the all-India growth of 7.6 percent.
About 73 million passengers traveled within and outside the zone in the first eight months, up from 62.8 million in the same period last year. Freight traffic in tonnage grew by 15.83 percent against the all-India growth of 10 percent.
"Given the scale and area of operations, the growth in freight and passenger traffic in the zone was the highest in the country," Perti pointed out.
Headquartered at Hubli, SWR has three divisions - Bangalore, Mysore and Hubli. Its route network extends into some parts of Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Being on a high-density route, Bangalore division generates maximum traffic as well as revenue.
With a budgetary allocation of 2.4 billion for the current fiscal, the zone has taken up several projects such as doubling of tracks, gauge conversion, introduction of new trains and modernization of stations in the region.
Perti said: "The Bangalore-Mangalore section will be thrown open to passenger traffic in the coming months after the railway safety commissioner certifies the track between Sakelespur and Kukke Subramanya in the Western Ghat section.
"Though the 330-km track has been converted into broad guage and goods trains are operated currently, landslides and slippages due to heavy rainfall in the region during the monsoons have affected the track in stretches."
To sustain the growth momentum and unlock the potential for freight as well as passenger traffic, SWR has taken up doubling of tracks between Bangalore and Jolarpetta towards Chennai, Bangalore-Ramanagaram towards Mysore and Bangalore-Tumkur towards Hubli.
"We have also taken up gauge conversion between Bangalore and Kolar, Shimoga-Talaguppa, Kadur-Chikmagalur and between Kottur and Harihar in Malnad region," he said.
In the next fiscal (2007-08), doubling of tracks between Hospet and Bellary and between Bijapur and Gadag in north Karnataka will be taken up.
Source: IANS
21.98 billion from April to November as against 16.18 billion in the corresponding period the last fiscal - a growth of 34.5 percent while the all-India growth was 15.7 percent in the same period, said SWR general manager T.N. Perti.
"Revenue from freight traffic increased to 16.44 billion during the first eight months as against 11.92 billion, registering year-on-year (YoY) growth of 37.4 percent. The all-India growth in the same period was 16.84 percent.
"Similarly, passenger traffic generated 4.41 billion as against 3.75 billion, registering YoY growth of 17.7 percent. Revenue from other coach services such as parcels and non-core operations yielded 500 million in the same period as against 210 million last year," Perti said.
Passenger traffic grew by 16.24 percent up to November as against the all-India growth of 7.6 percent.
About 73 million passengers traveled within and outside the zone in the first eight months, up from 62.8 million in the same period last year. Freight traffic in tonnage grew by 15.83 percent against the all-India growth of 10 percent.
"Given the scale and area of operations, the growth in freight and passenger traffic in the zone was the highest in the country," Perti pointed out.
Headquartered at Hubli, SWR has three divisions - Bangalore, Mysore and Hubli. Its route network extends into some parts of Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Being on a high-density route, Bangalore division generates maximum traffic as well as revenue.
With a budgetary allocation of 2.4 billion for the current fiscal, the zone has taken up several projects such as doubling of tracks, gauge conversion, introduction of new trains and modernization of stations in the region.
Perti said: "The Bangalore-Mangalore section will be thrown open to passenger traffic in the coming months after the railway safety commissioner certifies the track between Sakelespur and Kukke Subramanya in the Western Ghat section.
"Though the 330-km track has been converted into broad guage and goods trains are operated currently, landslides and slippages due to heavy rainfall in the region during the monsoons have affected the track in stretches."
To sustain the growth momentum and unlock the potential for freight as well as passenger traffic, SWR has taken up doubling of tracks between Bangalore and Jolarpetta towards Chennai, Bangalore-Ramanagaram towards Mysore and Bangalore-Tumkur towards Hubli.
"We have also taken up gauge conversion between Bangalore and Kolar, Shimoga-Talaguppa, Kadur-Chikmagalur and between Kottur and Harihar in Malnad region," he said.
In the next fiscal (2007-08), doubling of tracks between Hospet and Bellary and between Bijapur and Gadag in north Karnataka will be taken up.
Source: IANS