ECoR registers 250 MT freight loading

Bhubaneswar: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) zone has achieved the 250-million tonne freight loading mark in the 2023-24 fiscal. From April 1, 2023 to March 25, 2024. the ECoR loaded 250 million tonnes of freight.

“This remarkable loading has been achieved despite various challenges... with proper planning and coordination with government sectors and industries,” an official said. The Khurda Road Division of ECoR contributed 156.17 MT followed by 74.66 MT by the Waltair Division and 19.20 MT by the Sambalpur Division. All the three divisions have performed better than the previous year and surpassed their last year’s loading figures.

Furthermore, ECoR has become the first zone to cross the milestone of 200 million tonnes of loading for the fifth consecutive time. The three divisions of ECoR have significantly contributed to this stupendous feat. East Coast Railway was the second railway zone after the undivided South Eastern Railway to load 200 MT in the financial year 2019-20. Today, it has become the first zone to surpass 250 MT of freight.

During the financial year 2023-24, East Coast Railway loaded 149.50 MT of coal, 12.9 MT of raw materials to steel plants, 20.15 MT of steel and slag, 37.4 MT of iron ore, 1.21 MT of cement, 3.16 MT of foodgrains, 6.4 MT of fertilisers, 3 MT of mineral oil and 23.27 MT of freight in containers and other goods.

The coalfields of MCL at Talcher, five ports in ECoR jurisdiction such as Paradip, Dhamra, Vizag, Gangavaram and Gopalpur, iron ore mines in Bailadila in Chhattisgarh, major steel and aluminium companies and iron ore mines in Keonjhar district are the major contributors to this achievement.