Visakhapatnam MP Sribharat advocates faster freight trains, price rationalisation, and railway geography assessment
The Hindu
Visakhapatnam MP Sribharat advocates faster freight trains, price rationalisation, and railway geography assessment. During the discussion on the demand for grants for the Railways in Lok Sabha, he seeks fast-tracking of the appointment of key officials, including General Manager and Divisional Railway Manager, to ensure swift operationalisation of the new South Coast Railway Zone.
Member of Parliament from Visakhapatnam M. Sribharat endorsed the development of railway infrastructure while participating in the discussion on the demand for grants for the Railways in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Mr. Sribharat welcomed the substantial allocation of ₹2.5 lakh crore in the Budget, emphasising its potential to enhance passenger comfort, safety, and speed, while strengthening freight operations.
He expressed his gratitude to the Union Government for retaining the 132-year-old Waltair Division, which covers approximately 410 km, and renaming it as Visakhapatnam Division under the South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zone.
He also appreciated the floating of tenders for the construction of the General Manager’s office, acknowledging the government’s steadfast commitment to railway modernisation over the past five years.
Recognising the pivotal role of freight operations in the Indian Railways’ revenue generation, Mr. Sribharat proposed several critical measures.
He pointed out that freight operations contributed nearly 37% of total railway revenue, amounting to approximately ₹40,000 crore per year. Highlighting the adverse impact of high freight rates due to cross-subsidisation of passenger fares, he urged the Railway Ministry to rationalise pricing to prevent the shift of freight transport to roadways.
Observing that slow freight trains were a major bottleneck, he called for setting a target of 50 km/h average speed for the freight trains, which would significantly enhance logistics efficiency and reduce transit times.
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