Piyush Goyal conducts review meeting on innovative Freight Convoy initiative

New Delhi (Urban Transport News): Running of freight trains in a block through Convoy Movement by creating coaching free corridors has been a major initiative undertaken since September 2018, for improving freight throughput, especially on the coal-carrying routes. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal chaired a review meeting with officials from the Railway Board and Zonal Railways on November 12 on the successful implementation of the Freight Convoy Initiative, which will improve the mobility of freight trains & transportation of goods via Coaching Free Corridors. Goyal has been closely following up on the implementation of this initiative. Goyal reviewed the freight performance of IR through video conferencing. On the instructions of MR, trails of Convoy System of freight trains on some Zonal Railways has been successful. In the review meeting, he stressed on starting Convoy System of freight trains on all zonal railways to improve turnaround time, throughput, track capacity, utilization of tracks & average speed of freight trains, resulting in increased loading & freight movement by railways. [caption id="attachment_2540" align="alignnone" width="696"] Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Coal chairing a review meeting of the senior officers of Railway Board and Zonal Railways on this innovative Freight Convoy Initiative. [Photo: WR][/caption]This innovative way of running freight traffic has been successfully implemented on Korba-Bilaspur-Anupur-New Katni-Agasod/Bina-Jhansi-Kota routes, Ghaziabad-Allahabad-Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction routes and Bilaspur-Jharsuguda-Rourkela sections.  This convoy system was also tried on the Asansol-Jhajha-Barauni section (251.65 km) on 3^rd/4^th November 2018 which was successful. In order to maximize throughput during the coaching free corridors, detailed planning of loads, locomotives and crews is being done.  Senior officers are deputed in the control offices to monitor the planning, ordering, and running of freight trains in the convoy.  Traffic inspectors and loco inspectors are deputed to foot-plate in the locomotives of the freight trains to ensure no time loss takes place in the clearance of block sections. Goyal further said that successful endeavors should be made to expand the Freight Capacity of Indian Railways without compromising the overall passenger movement and maintenance requirements. The increase in freight throughput across identified key sections /interchange points of SECR, WCR, NCR, ECR, and ER during the days of freight convoy system has been as under:-

From Zone	To Zone	Inter-change point	Average interchange on Convoy Days	Average interchange on Non-Convoy Days	Percentage Improvement
SECR	WCR	NKJ	41	28	46.4%
NCR	WCR	AGD/BINA	42	36	17.8%
NCR	ECR	DDU	46	37	25.0%
ECR	NCR	DDU	44	36	22.9%
SECR	SER	JSG	34	24	39.6%
SER	SECR	JSG	34	24	39.6%
ER	ECR	JAJ	20	12	66.7%

Thus, both in the loaded direction and in the empties direction there was a significant increase in freight trains and throughput. At present, ECR, ER, NCR, SECR, SER, and WCR are running freight Convoys in some corridors. Other Zonal Railways will also take up running of freight corridors on their routes based on requirements. It is felt that there is huge potential for increasing freight throughput across all Zonal Railways by the introduction of freight Convoy System for 2 or 3 times a week.  This would help in improving the mobility of rakes required for coal loading as well as other commodities.

(with PIB inputs)