NEW DELHI, April 2 – The Indian Railways entered the one billion tonne select club in freight movement joining Chinese, Russian and United States railways. In 2012-13, Indian Railways have been able to achieve an originating freight loading of around 1.01 billion tonnes, an increase by 40 million tonnes (4.1 per cent growth) over the last financial year.
The freight loading achieved for the year is also higher than the revised target of 1.007 billion tonnes fixed for the year 2012-13, Railway Minister, Pawan Kumar Bansal said. Freight loading target for fiscal year 2013-14 is 1.047 billion tonnes.
“It is really creditable to achieve this significant freight loading despite present economic scenario the world over,” he said, adding that Indian Railways would play the role of engine of growth for country’s economy.
India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is expected to be in the range of five per cent for the year ending March 2013.
Indian Railways is one of the world’s largest railway networks comprising 115,000 km of track over a route of 65,000 km and 7,500 stations.
BERNAMA
