GUWAHATI, Nov 8 � Buttressed by sustained cost cutting efforts and boosted by rise in passenger and goods earnings, the Maligaon-headquartered Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has registered a higher-than-national-average growth in its total earnings during the first half of the current fiscal.
In April-September this year, NFR�s total approximate gross earnings on originating basis stood at Rs 1,732.89 crore compared to Rs 1,525.80 crore in the corresponding six months of 2013-14, registering a jump of 13.57 per cent.
It is noteworthy that in the first half of last fiscal, NFR had registered a dip in its year-on-year earnings.
Meanwhile, NFR�s growth in earnings on originating basis in the first half of the current 2014-15 financial year is higher than the 12.02 per cent rise reported nationally by the Indian Railways.
The total approximate gross earnings of Indian Railways on originating basis registered went up to Rs 73,403.67 crore in April-September this year as against Rs 65,525.85 crore during the same period last fiscal.
�Intense efforts at cost cutting, besides operation of special trains and cargo expresses have resulted in growth in both passenger and goods revenue. In addition, the increase can also be attributed to the low base of last fiscal,� said a source.
In the first six months of the current fiscal, total goods earnings of NFR went up by almost 17 per cent to Rs 745.27 crore, while total passenger revenue earnings went up 15.32 per cent to Rs 691.74 crore.
Earnings from other coachings grew over 9 per cent to Rs 76.74 crore. Sundry earnings registered a marginal rise to Rs 219.14 crore.
However, total approximate number of passengers booked during April-September this fiscal fell year-on-year by 2.96 per cent to 47.86 million.
�If NFR can maintain the momentum for the entire fiscal, it will act as a major morale booster for the Railways in this strategically important region,� said the source.
