KRC posts Rs 12 crore profit for first time
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, OCT 12
The Konkan Railway Corporation has finally made a turn around in its financial position, with the Corporation posting for the first time a modest profit of Rs 12 crore since the rail operations began 11 years ago.
The KRC, however, appears to be still grappling with the problem of landslides at the Ratnagiri section and is weighing various options, including a rail bypass to overcome disruption of rail traffic on this section during monsoons.
KRC Managing Director B P Tayal said the Corporation now plans to take the annual profit to Rs 50 crore and reach the three digit figure in the next 2-3 years.
“This is the first time in 11 years that the KRC has earned a profit of Rs 12 crore from the daily loss of Rs one crore. Our mission now is to reach the three digit figure in the next 2-3 years, say around Rs 100 core plus profit in the coming years”, he added.
Saying that funds is the major constraint affecting the KRC in its expansion plans, Tayal said the Corporation will take up major projects once the profits go up substantially in the coming years.
Replying to a question, he said the KRC made the modest profit out of the increase in the passenger and freight traffic. “Freight traffic brought us around Rs 300 crore, incuding Rs two crore from RO service. Passenger traffic brought in another Rs 275 crore’, he said, adding that the KRC has designed a new wagon for the Ro Ro rail service.
If Tayal is to be believed, the KRC has bright prospects of increasing revenue from freight traffic in view of the proposed coal and steel plants coming up in the Konkan region.
On electrification of the Konkan railway route, he said the proposal would be taken up on BOOT basis only after the Western and Southern railways takes up electrification of their routes.
When newsmen drew his attention to the landslides at the Ratnagiri section every years, Tayal said the KRC is thinking of various options, including construction of a bridge at a whopping cost of Rs 35 crore. . “We have even carried out a feasibility study of a rail bypass. This is a difficult challenge for the engineers. Recently, we engaged a Profession from IIT Kanpur to help overcome the problem. We have spend around Rs 200 crore to stabilize the land and has planted lakhs of saplings to stabilize the land”, he added.
On the Sky bus project, Tayal said the KRC has invited Global Expression of Interest to fine tune the technology and use it for commercial purposes.
“The KRC has already invested more than Rs 50 crore in the sky bus project. Since we fall short of funds, the Global Expression of Interest has been invited to fine tune the technology and share the profits with the Corporation”, he added.
On the Anti-Collision Devise, Tayal said the ACD has recently got the patent in the USA after six long years. “The ACD has already got the patent in China, Singapore, Europe, Australia. The ACD has so far being implemented in the NE Frontier Railways”, he said, adding that the ACDs will soon become a reality in the trains running on the Southern Railways.
