The Indian Railways (IR) posted a five per cent growth in freight traffic in 2011-12 over 2010-11.
In 2011-12, it handled a total of 969. 78 million tonnes (mt) of freight traffic, compared to 921.51 mt in the previous year.
The original target of 993 mt for 2011-12 was subsequently revised downward to 970 mt. The throughputs of only four zonal railways exceeded the 100-mt level and these are South-East Central Railway (SECR, Bilaspur headquarters)-150.73 mt; East Coast Railway (ECoR, Bhubaneswar)- 120.7 mt; South Eastern Railway (SER, Kolkata)-117.01 mt; and South-Central Railway (SCR, Secunderabad)- 103.17 mt.
Thus, SECR maintained its top position as the largest freight loading zonal railway. Also, it has hiked its share from the earlier 15.26 per cent to 15.54 per cent. However, in terms of incremental traffic, ECoR topped the list, the extent of increase being 11.7 mt on a total traffic throughput of 120.7 mt (109 mt). Also, for the first time, ECoR dislodged SER from the second position.
SER with a negative growth of 117 mt (123 mt), has been pushed to the third place.
In terms of incremental traffic, SECR came second with 10.1 mt on a total traffic throughput of 150.73 (140.6 mt) and Western Railway (WR, Mumbai) third, the incremental volume being 7.44 mt on a total of 70.64 mt. East Central Railway (ECR, Hajipur, Patna), another freight loading railway, handled 94.6 mt (88.1 mt), the incremental traffic being 6.5 mt, and South Western Railway (Hubli, Karnataka), an iron ore loading railway, suffered a dip of 2.58 mt on a total of 33.18 mt (35.76 mt).
Almost all major freight loading zonal railways are the coal loading railways as coal is the single largest item of traffic, accounting for 45-46 per cent of the total traffic of IR.
SER, being by and large the iron ore loading railway, is the lone exception.