No shortage of rakes for coal loading : Railways

New Delhi, Sep 1 (UNI) Indian Railways today denied that there was any shortage of rakes or wagons for coal loading.

Refuting reports to this effect, a Railway Ministry spokesman said Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries could only load 142 rakes per day even as the Railways were in a position to make available 195 rakes per day.

The shortfall of approximately 53 rakes per day was in fact due to inability on the part of coal companies to transport coal from pitheads to railway sidings, he said.

Between April and August 2008, CIL and its subsidiaries had registered a shortfall of loading of 37 rakes per day. Major shortfalls were recorded at CCL, SECL and MCL where 12 rakes, 20 rakes and 10 rakes respectively could not be loaded per day, he claimed.

This, he said, also led to non-utilisation/stabling of 20 empty rakes at East Central Railway, 30 empty rakes at South East Central Railway and 10 empty rakes at East Coast Railway for want of coal loading.

The Ministry clarified that coal leading through Coal India Limited and its subsdiaries was done through sidings owned by the coal companies. Keeping in view the shortcomings of the coal companies to transport coal from pithead to railway sidings, Indian Railways had opened even some goods shed near the colliery areas so as to facilitate movement of non-linked coal by rail.

The customers, the Ministry claimed, had already started diverting coal to these new locations and as on date around 100 rakes of coal had been programmed from road to rail.

UNI KAS SY HS1826