Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (MCL), shared information to all its consumers and other stakeholders about a number of policy measures undertaken by Railways to make transportation of goods by rail simpler, transparent, more affordable and financially viable for consumers; the detailed information of which also being available at Railways Traffic commercial directorate's webpage and FOIS website for ready reference.
Below are the steps taken by Indian Railways to bring ease in transportation through rail.
1. The average speed of freight trains almost doubled as compared to last year.
2. Various concessions and discounts were granted, some examples of them being:
- Busy season surcharge (@15%) withdrawn from 1st October, 2019.
- Long-Lead concession of 15%-20% granted to coal, iron ore, and finished steel.
- Short-Lead Concession of 10%-50% granted to all traffic, except coal and iron ore.
- Reduction in Terminal Access Charge Concession (50%) at group III terminals.
- Containers and Automobile traffic exempted from payment of Stabling Charges till 31st October.
- 5% and 25% discount on Haulage Charges to loaded and empty containers respectively.
- Concession to bulk/loose Fly-ash and Industrial Salt.
3. Various steps were taken by the railways in view of decreasing congestion at terminals.
- Restriction on booking of freight to any of the Goods-shed or terminals were removed.
- Alternate Goods-shed policy were launched to decongest busy goods-shed (no terminal charges levied)
- Private Freight Terminal and Private Siding policies were liberalized.
- Limits on Co-users ii Private Sidings were removed.
- Good Shed, Private Siding and PFTs have been opened for handling Parcel Traffic subject to operational feasibility.
4. Steps were also undertaken to increase the ease-of-doing-business with Railways, such as:
- Free-time relaxation granted to covered wagons till 30th September.
- Distance permitted for mini-rakes increased from 400 km to 1500 km, beyond 1500 km upto 2000 km with levy of 7.5% supplementary charge, further beyond 2000 km with levy of 10% supplementary charge and 5% surcharge waived-off.
- Lower limit relaxed to 10 wagons to target piecemeal traffic in Traditional Empty Flow Direction.
- Weighment from road-weighbridge accepted for granite traffic.
- Export traffic to Bangladesh permitted in Parcel and Containers.
- Two-point unloading permitted for automobile traffic.
- Rake-size of BCNHL wagons were reduced from 58 wagons to 42 wagons for availing Train Load benefits.
- NMG traffic to Bangladesh permitted.
- 23 new CC+8 routes notified for steel traffic.
- Power delegated to DRMs to permit installation of EIMWBs on railway land.
- NMG rakes allowed with two point unloading destinations.
5. Along with all this, steps were also taken to attract smaller than train-load traffic.
- Vyapar-mala trains (garland trains) introduced to attract less than rake-load traffic.
- Time-tabled parcel specials were introduced on 20 routes.
- Pilot Special time tabled Kisan Rail launched between Devlali (Nashik, Maharashtra) and Danapur (Patna, Bihar), to transport perishables and farm-produce.
- Minimum composition of Indented Parcel trains reduced to 15 Parcel Vans from earlier 20 Parcel Vans (reduced to 10 parcel vans for perishable traffic)
Additionally, the railway has also taken initiative for creation of Business Development Units (BDU), which have been formed at all Divisional, Zonal and Railway Board levels. The interested parties may contact the Nodal Officer of BDU in their area to get a one-stop solution for their transportation needs.
