SER increases movement of iron ore rakes

Jamshedpur, Jul 17 (UNI) Keeping pace with the rising demand for iron ore in the eastern region, the South Eastern Railways (SER) has increased the movement of iron ore-laden rakes by around 64 per cent since last fiscal.

Speaking at an interaction with CII's Jharkhand chapter here today, SER General Manager Vijay K Raina said from 34 iron ore rakes per day in November, 2005, SER was moving 50 plus ore-laden rakes per day.

SER had averaged moving 40 rakes per day last year and for June this year the figure was 49 rakes per day.

Mr Raina said the SER had targeted to increase this average from 50 to 55 rake per day by the end of this fiscal.

He said the bulk of the burden for achieving it would fall on the technical division of the SER.

Mr Raina said under Railways' liberalised railway siding scheme, to be taken up under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, 57 sidings for use by steel/sponge iron plants as well as for iron ore loading had been approved over the last one year.

He said SER needed to strengthen its Traffic Planning department with respect to the new railway sidings coming up and added six sidings had already been commissioned so far, another eight were expected to be ready in the next few months.

UNI