The Central Railway has set an ambitious target of 90.05 million tonnes for goods loading in the current financial year, including 40.95 million tonnes for coal loading and 8.8 million tonnes for cement loading. This target showcases the railway's dedication to efficient and reliable transportation of goods.
On Wednesday, the Central Railway (CR) successfully conducted its Annual Conference for the Operations Department at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). Senior officials, including Naresh Lalwani (General Manager of Central Railway), Alok Singh (Additional General Manager), and Mukul Jain (Principal Chief Operations Manager), attended the conference.
The conference provided a platform for the Senior Divisional Operations Managers from Mumbai, Bhusawal, Nagpur, Pune, and Solapur divisions to come together and discuss key strategies and goals for the upcoming year. Heads of Coaching, Planning, and Goods sections of the Operations Department were also present.
Increased goods loading target
A major highlight of the conference was the announcement of the goods loading targets for the fiscal year 2023-24.
The achievements of the previous years were also recognized during the conference. In the fiscal year 2021-22, Central Railway successfully loaded a total of 76 million tonnes of goods, which increased to 81.88 million tonnes in 2022-23, demonstrating a positive growth trend.
Central Railway has also made significant progress in developing Bhiwandi, Jalgaon, and Ajni/Nagpur as major parcel loading points. In the previous fiscal year, a total of 312 parcel trains were loaded with 764,759 tonnes, generating revenue of 45.86 crores.
Completion of key infra projects
The conference highlighted key infrastructure projects, including the completion of the Bhusawal-Jalgaon new 3rd-4th line spanning 24.13 km and the Jalgaon-Pachora new 3rd line covering 47.59 km. These projects were praised for their contribution to the smooth movement of trains. Ongoing projects such as Nagpur-Wardha 3rd & 4th line, Bhusawal-Khandwa 3rd & 4th line, and Nagpur-Etarasi and Bhusawal-Wardha 3rd lines were also discussed, emphasizing the railway's commitment to enhancing connectivity and efficiency.
The conference also addressed the ongoing improvements in goods sheds across various divisions. Upgrades, including the renewal of circulating areas, lighting, approach roads, labor rooms, and merchant rooms, are currently underway. The goods sheds earmarked for improvement include Kalamboli (Mumbai Division), Kasbe Sukane, Borgaon, Khamgaon, Savda, Burhanpur, and Nandgaon (Bhusawal Division), Tadali, Ballarshah, Kalmeshwar, and Maramjhiri (Nagpur Division), as well as Nira and Loni (Pune Division), and Vilad, Ahmednagar, Belapur, Daund, and Arag (Solapur Division).
Working in sync with other railway zones
Efficient coordination and collaboration with other railway zones were also highlighted. In the previous fiscal year, Central Railway averaged the takeover/handover of 317 goods trains daily with other railway zones, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted transportation across the network.
Central Railway achieved a remarkable 18.4% increase in the total capacity handling of goods trains in 2022-23. On average, 336 goods trains were interchanged daily, demonstrating the railway's commitment to enhancing capacity and efficiency.
The conference acknowledged the completion of several critical infrastructure works that have significantly improved the mobility of both mail express and goods trains. Key achievements include Daund-Gulbarga doubling, Wardha-Chitoda 2nd cord line, Khapri-Nagpur-Godhani- 20 km automatic signalling system and Kamshet loop lines extention.
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