Railway freight traffic increases 5 percent

October 8th, 2009 AMBALA - Salt bags that fell on the railway tracks from an overturned truck held up rail traffic on the Ambala-Saharanpur section for several hours Thursday morning, railway authorities said. The bags fell after a truck overturned early Thursday on the National Highway 1 flyover passing over the tracks.

September 3rd, 2009 Weekly US rail shipments fall 16.1 percentWASHINGTON — Shipments carried by U.S. railroads fell 16.1 percent last week compared with a year earlier, a major industry trade group reported Thursday.

August 31st, 2009 YANGON - China Monday announced the handing over of 225 railway carriages to Myanmar as part of a deal agreed by the two countries in 2008. The carriages include 20 passenger and 200 freight coaches, and five engines.

August 19th, 2009 DUBAI - The Dubai International Airport saw an increase of passenger traffic in July, registering a 12.6 percent growth, the highest since May 2008, WAM news agency reported Wednesday. It is also the second consecutive month of double-digit growth in passenger traffic this year following the 10.3 percent rise in June.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Friday said that Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has done a highly competent job by presenting a pro-poor Rail budget.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Presenting the Railway Budget in Parliament today, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said that besides improving the loading of coal, iron ore, cement, fertilizers and foodgrain, measures are being taken to increase the share in new traffic streams like automobiles and fly ash. Banerjee said a premium service for container movement with assured transit time was under consideration for time sensitive cargo.

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railways Minister Lalu Prasad expects to cross the budgeted freight and passenger revenue targets this fiscal despite the economic slowdown. 'We are not only hopeful but confident that the budget targets for passenger and goods earnings set for this fiscal will be surpassed,' Lalu said Friday while presenting the interim railway budget for 2009-10.

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Following are the highlights of the interim rail budget for next fiscal presented by Minister for Railways Lalu Prasad in Lok Sabha Friday: * Feasibility studies progressing well to start 'bullet trains' in India * Railways will create record surplus of Rs.900 billion (Rs.90,000 crore) this fiscal * In past five years, no burden imposed on train passengers * Railways saw 14 percent rise in passenger income * Railways managed 8 percent growth in freight loading * Drop in train accidents, railway safety enhanced * Rs.700 billion (Rs.70,000 crore) surplus ploughed back to improve efficiency * Rs.367.73 billion (Rs.36,773 crore) spent this fiscal toward productivity, passenger facilities * Railways to introduce wagons with higher capacity * Railways to spend Rs.230 billion (Rs.23,000 crore) in 2009-10 * Work has started on Delhi-Mumbai dedicated freight corridor

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Indian Railways will likely get Rs.200 billion (Rs.20,000 crore/$4 billion) from Japan for their rail freight corridor project, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad said here Friday. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will release the funds by the end of 2009, Lalu Prasad told reporters after presenting the interim railway budget.

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Following are the highlights of the interim rail budget for next fiscal presented by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in Lok Sabha Friday: * Two percent reduction in fares for virtually all classes * Feasibility studies progressing well to start 'bullet trains' in India * Plan outlay for 2009-10 kept at Rs.379.05 billion (Rs.37,905 crore) * Railways will create record surplus of Rs.900 billion (Rs.90,000 crore) this fiscal * Rs.700 billion (Rs.70,000 crore) surplus ploughed back to improve efficiency * In past five years, no burden imposed on train passengers * Railways saw 14 percent rise in passenger income * Railways managed 8 percent growth in freight loading in five years * But freight down in current year due to economic downturn * Revised freight earnings for this fiscal to Rs.542.93 billion (Rs.54,293 crore) * Freight loading target retained at 850 million tonnes * Estimated freight earnings for next fiscal pegged at Rs.590.59 billion (Rs.59,059 crore) * Drop in train accidents, railway safety enhanced * Rs.367.73 billion (Rs.36,773 crore) spent this fiscal toward productivity, passenger facilities * Railways to introduce wagons with higher capacity * Railways to spend Rs.230 billion (Rs.23,000 crore) in 2009-10 * Work has started on Delhi-Mumbai dedicated freight corridor * Dedicated freight corridor from Ludhiana to Kolkata to be inaugurated later this month * Kolkata Metro will be expanded * 43 new train services to be started in 2009-10 * Frequencies of 14 trains enhanced * Frequencies of several trains across the country increased to daily service * Extension of 14 trains envisaged * Passenger volume likely to grow by around 7 percent over previous year * Steps to have railway connectivity to Kashmir initiated * Railways have set up four call centres

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Following are the highlights of the interim rail budget for next fiscal presented by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in Lok Sabha Friday: * Two percent reduction in fares for virtually all classes * Feasibility studies progressing well to start 'bullet trains' in India * Railways will create record surplus of Rs.900 billion (Rs.90,000 crore) this fiscal * In past five years, no burden imposed on train passengers * Railways saw 14 percent rise in passenger income * Railways managed 8 percent growth in freight loading in five years * But freight down in current year due to economic downturn * Drop in train accidents, railway safety enhanced * Rs.700 billion (Rs.70,000 crore) surplus ploughed back to improve efficiency * Rs.367.73 billion (Rs.36,773 crore) spent this fiscal toward productivity, passenger facilities * Railways to introduce wagons with higher capacity * Railways to spend Rs.230 billion (Rs.23,000 crore) in 2009-10 * Work has started on Delhi-Mumbai dedicated freight corridor * Dedicated freight corridor from Ludhiana to Kolkata to be inaugurated later this month * Kolkata Metro will be expanded * Frequencies of a host of trains enhanced * Frequencies of several trains across the country increased to daily service * Steps to have railway connectivity to Kashmir initiated * Railways have set up four call centres

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Following are the highlights of the interim rail budget for next fiscal presented by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in Lok Sabha Friday: * Railways will create record surplus of Rs.900 billion (Rs.90,000 crore) this fiscal * In past five years, no burden imposed on train passengers * Railways managed 8 percent growth in freight loading * Drop in train accidents, railway safety enhanced

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India Inc lauded the rail budget tabled in parliament Friday, but said Railway Minister Lalu Prasad has not responded to the prevailing slowdown in the country's economy that could have been somewhat cushioned by a cut in freight rates. 'The Railway Minister has presented a mixed budget,' said Harsh Pati Singhania, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

January 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The decision to increase railway freight charges will lead to higher prices of essential commodities adding to the burden of inflation on the people, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said here Friday. The railways have decided to increase freight rate for loading of foodgrains, pulses and fertilisers by 8.33 percent.

January 19th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Logistics major Container Corp of India (CONCOR) will set up a freight logistics park near state capital Gandhinagar, officials here said. Spread over 151 acres at Khodiyar in Gandhinagar district, the state-of-the-art project will be developed on an estimated investment of Rs.10 million (Rs.1 crore).