GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO: 1137
ANSWERED ON: 29.11.2012
AVAILABILITY OF GOODS TRAINSWAGONS
(a) whether the availability of goods wagons is far shorter than the demandsrequirement, resulting in losing Railways’ freight traffic to road traffic;
(b) if so, the details of supply and demand thereof during the last three years and the current year upto September, year-wise;
(c) whether nearly 300 goods trains remained idle at various yards in the country due to lack of demandsorders during July to September 2012;
(d) if so, the details thereof along with the details of loss incurred by the Railways as a result thereof; and
(e) The other steps takenbeing taken to ensure availability of wagons as per demands?
ANSWER
(a): No, Madam.
(b): Does not arise.
(c) & (d): The demand for freight loading on Indian Railways is a derived demand and is dependent on the growth in the economy, especially in the core sector since Railways is primarily a bulk carrier of freight.
There has been a relative slow down in the growth of the core sector industries to which the Railway freight primarily caters to. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) indices for April-September 2012 show a growth of 3.2 as compare to 5.0 growth in April-September 2011. During this period the growth in freight loading has been higher at 4.84. As a result of less demand for freight during July-September 2012, rakes idled on the Indian Railway System. The figures are tabulated below:
onth dled raesday Estiated loss in illion Tonnes(T)
ly 43.9 0.9 Agst 144 2.9 epteber 208.3 4.0 Total 7.8
It is estimated that approx. 7.8 MT of loading freight traffic on Indian Railway was lost due to idling of capacity.
(e): The Railways have a system of having daily conferences at Railway Board level, onal Headquarter level and Division level wherein monitoring of demand and supply of rakes is done. Railways have also implemented a Freight Operation Information System (FOIS) to improve utiliation of its assets. In these conferences, rakes and locomotives are positioned in various onesDivisions to meet demand. On a long term basis the Railways continuously upgrade their infrastructure, both fixed and rolling, to meet the demands adequately. Upgradation of track, bridges, signalling systems, construction of new line, Gauge conversion, doubling, etc. help to generate additional line capacity while increased procurement of better designed wagons and higher capacity locomotives help in increase the rolling stock infrastructure. These measures help the Railway to meet the demands adequately.