Even as the State government’s ambitious semi-high-speed rail project SilverLine, which promises to transport passengers and goods at higher speeds, has been receiving brickbats, the freight movement from Kerala through the existing railway network has increased exponentially in recent times, riding high on the traffic of petroleum products, petroleum derivatives, fertilizer, cement, and food items.
The Thiruvananthapuram division under the Southern Railways handled 589 million tonnes (MT) in the first two months of the current fiscal compared to the 373 MT in the corresponding period last fiscal. The Palakkad division handled 561 MT freight in May alone compared to 320 MT freight handled by the Thiruvananthapuram division in the month. According to a senior railway officer, the freight movement to and from Kerala has been increasing and the trend was upward even during the peak of COVID-19. So is the case with parcel service from Kerala.
Rubber saplings, pineapple
Finding a niche market for the rubber saplings from Kerala in the northeastern States and increased acceptability of Vazhakkulam pineapple, a GI (Geographical Indication) tagged produce, in north India, helped Railways net more profit in the parcel segment. Further, KAMCO’s (Kerala Agro Machinery Corporation Ltd,) power tillers and power reapers which made their way to the northeastern States like Assam has also helped Railways increase its foothold in the segment. A good market for fertilizer from the public sector Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) along with the traffic of steel and cement played a pivotal role in increasing the freight revenue of Railways, said officials.
RORO service proposal
Railways have given a proposal to start Roll-on Roll-off (RORO) service for transporting goods-laden vehicles between Kerala and other States. The RORO, which carries trucks with goods on its platform, instead of bogies or wagons, and drops the trucks along with drivers at a designated points from where they can drive off, is expected to increase the freight revenue of Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad divisions in the existing fiscal if approval is given, said the officials.
In a first in the country, the Thiruvananthapuram division recently launched an online payment and monitoring system for freight traffic from Kerala, a digital payment gateway which provides a better digital experience for the freight customers. This is expected to provide momentum for the freight movement from here.
