The average speed of goods trains nearly doubled in July, according to a performance report by the Indian Railways. This has resulted in faster turnaround of wagons and increased opportunity for loading, the railways said.

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Despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the freight loading at 322 million tonnes for April to July is lower by sub-20 percent, compared to the same period last year.

According to the report, the average speed of goods trains during the period April-July 2019 was 23.2 kilometers per hour (kmph). That rose to 38.4 kmph

for April-July 2020. The average speed in July alone was 45.03 kmph, with the average speed exceeding 40 kmph on most days.

The report said that that has been an improvement in average speed across all zones, with Eastern Railways clocking 52.52 kmph.

The Railways is planning to introduce a zero-based timetable to further enable improvement in freight performance.

A zero-based time table means a complete new time table in which many trains and stoppages, found to be commercially unviable will be scrapped.

The Railways is also looking an end-to-end logistic services in its parcel business. It will gradually move away from leasing of parcel space in trains –and will introduce online booking of parcel space in trains of choice (on first-come-first-serve basis) at pre-determined freight rates. It is also planning time-tabled parcel trains.

The Zonal Railways are identifying terminals which can be converted into

dedicated parcel terminals, which will be different from passenger platforms.

The report said that more than 200 infrastructure works have been completed during the last four months, with many bottlenecks being removed.

The Railways has established Zonal/ Divisional Business Development Units to increase freight traffic and has begun work on overhauling goods shed facilities.