Eastern Railway executes major projects

Kolkata: Strong earnings combined with a large number of development projects under execution were expected to pay rich dividends in the years ahead, Deepak Krishan, General Manager of Eastern Railway, indicated at the National Flag hoisting ceremony on Republic Day at the Eastern Railway’s Headquarters at Fairlie Place in Kolkata.

ER was executing major construction works like double line laying in Tarakeshwar-Seoraphuli, Baruipur-Lakshmikantapur, Kalinarayanpur-Krishnanagar, Barasat-Hasnabad, Bandel-Jirat, Baruipur-Magrahat, Kiul-Kajra and Barharwa-Tinpahar.

Conversion work of Narrow Gauge section like Barddhaman–Katwa and Krishnanagar–Shantipur, construction of Railway bridges at Bandel–Naihati and Jiyaganj–Ajimganj over river Hooghly and Bhagirathi respectively and construction of 32 Road-over-Bridges at different stations were progressing too.

Krishan said ER earned Rs 1933 crore from freight traffic between April and December 2008 compared to Rs 1500 crore in April-December 2007.

ER carried 72 crore passengers in April-December 2008 as against 69 crore passengers in April-December 2007.

Passenger earning rose 10 per cent to Rs 946 crore in April-December 2008 from Rs 861 crore in April-December 2007.

Total originating earning of Eastern Railway rose to Rs 3015 crore in April-December 2008 from Rs 2496 crore in April-December 2007. K C Jena, chairman of the Railway Board, had held a meeting at ER headquarters in Fairlie Place, Kolkata on January 24 to review the performance of the three railways based in Kolkata ER, Eastern, South Eastern Railway (SER) and Metro Railway (MR). Jena reviewed the performance of the three railways and discussed strategies for growth in near future.

Krishan, General Manager of ER, A K Jain, GM of SER, and V N Tripathi, GM of MR, and head of departments of the three railways made presentations on the performances of the three systems in April-December 2008.

Krishan pointed out to Jena that ER carried 35.318 million ton of freight in April-December 2008 as against 31.082 million ton in April-December 2007, up 13 per cent. Of the total ER freight traffic, coal alone amounted to 23.095 million ton and other goods 12.223 million ton.