On 'Mission Hungry for Cargo', Railways mapping mining districts for higher freight transport share

Under its 'Mission Hungry for Cargo' initiative, the Railways is targeting a 45 per cent modal share in freight transportation from the current 27 per cent.

New Delhi: The Railways is mapping the mining districts across the country to connect them with the rail network in a bid to bite into a bigger slice of the freight transportation pie, officials told the media. Under its 'Mission Hungry for Cargo' initiative, the Railways is targeting a 45 per cent modal share in freight transportation from the current 27 per cent.

As part of it, zones have been instructed to identify districts and survey the total produce of the mines in their regions and map the rail route around them. So far, the ministry has approved the survey of about 100 MT of production capacity mines across the country, officials said. As many as 52 districts have been identified so far. These include Tinsukia, with a production capacity of 0.62 MT, Raiganj 17 MT, Korba, 111 MT and Dantewada 23 MT.

The products include coal, iron ore and bauxite limestone which the Railways wants to transport at competitive pricing. Official figures show the national transporter's market share in transporting goods has been consistently reducing and it has been losing its dominance to other modes of transport like road and even waterways. The Railways has instructed its Business Development Units across zones to go into detail about each major commodity in their areas and make all-out efforts to not only bring back the freight cargo but also add new products to their basket, officials said.

"The idea of mapping these mineral-rich areas is to ensure that we get to transport them on rail. The surveys will identify the nearest railhead to the mine and if there aren't any then we can lay the tracks there. "The plan is to make railways not only the cheapest but the most convenient transporter of such goods," said a senior railway official.

Officials also indicate that the Railways plans to fund these lines on its own so that there are no delays. "The zones will analyze in-depth every loading/unloading point and commodities being transported in that area and take steps to increase the railway's share," the official said. Additional lines and sidings will be developed wherever required to ensure no delays in the loading of goods, the official added.

PTI