Waltair Division achieves a record in various operational capacities
Visakhapatnam: Waltair Division has achieved a historic breakthrough by surpassing all its loading targets recording 85.1 million tonnes of freight loading for the first time in any financial year, informed Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Waltair Division Lalit Bohra.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday, he described the achievement as a landmark moment that reflects a robust growth of 17.25 percent compared to the previous financial year and underlined that the division achieved the record despite experiencing a host of operational constraints.
The DRM stated that the division has set a new benchmark by crossing 150 million tonnes in total goods handling, including both loading and unloading, marking a 17.4 percent increase over last year.
The division’s performance gained fifth place in the Indian Railways in terms of earnings and loading, with a record revenue of Rs.10,422.56 crore, registering an impressive 18.75 percent growth, he informed.
Speaking about passenger traffic, the DRM mentioned that passenger flow also witnessed a steady rise, reaching 33.42 million during the financial year, a growth of 6.6 percent. This contributed to the highest passenger revenue in the last 21 years, amounting to Rs.881.37 crore, reflecting an increase of 8.71 percent over the previous year, Lalit Bohra mentioned.
Highlighting other achievements, the DRM noted that the division emerged as a top performer in various non-fare revenue segments, including catering, ticket checking, parking and sundry earnings.
He pointed out that Visakhapatnam railway station received a platinum-rated Green Railway Station Certification, while the Electric Loco Shed at Visakhapatnam earned national recognition in the BLW Electric Loco ‘Beauty Contest.’
On the infrastructure front, the DRM informed that the division has made significant progress with the commissioning of over 380-km of doubling on key sections. Foundation stones were laid and inauguration of various projects worth over Rs.1,200 crore were initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including, rail flyovers, station upgrades, FOBs, platform works and passenger amenities, he added.
In a step towards technological advancement, the division has also introduced an AI-powered Rail Robocop named ‘ASC ARJUN’ at Visakhapatnam station to enhance surveillance and assist passengers, the DRM highlighted. The system has already demonstrated its effectiveness by identifying and helping apprehend habitual offenders through facial recognition technology, he stated. Expressing pride in the division’s accomplishments, Lalit Bohra attributed credit to the collective efforts of employees and officers for enabling Waltair Division to achieve strong freight growth and surpass Rs.10,000 crore in gross revenue, setting new records across multiple operational and financial parameters.
