WR ferries one lakh tonnes of essentials during lockdown

Mumbai, Aug 19 (IANS) Western Railway (WR) transported a record 100,000 tonnes of essential supplies through 475 parcel trains across the country during the nationwide lockdown despite labour constraints due to the coronavirus pandemic, an official said here on Wednesday.Keeping the supply chain moving during the lockdown, the WR Business Development Units (BDUs) at all WR Divisions and Zonal Headquarters not only transported foodgrains but also milk and edible oil, said WR Chief Spokesperson Sumit Thakur.From March 23 till August 18, the WR sent the goods, both solids and liquid, to different parts of India, generating an estimated Rs 32.69 crore as freight revenue.These included 75 milk special trains carrying 57,000 tonnes of milk that fetched nearly Rs 10 crore in revenue, an edible oil special train that earned Rs 11 lakh, and 376 special trains to ferry other essential commodities totalling 34,200 tonnes that earned another Rs 17.33 crore.Additionally, there were 24 indented rakes that carried 10,400 tonnes of goods and earned Rs 5.55 crore for the WR, Thakur said.
--IANS qn/tsb/bg