Economic Survey favours operating more Kisan Rail

The Economic Survey had favoured operating Kisan Rail more frequently to transport agriculture produce to help farmers.

“..Kisan Rail need(s) to be exploited further to protect the interests of the farmers as well as the consumers,” the survey tabled in Parliament pointed out.

Launched on August 7, 2020, Kisan Rail transported perishables such as fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products from places of production or surplus to places of consumption or scarcity.

Till mid-January this year, Indian Railways have operated 1,900 Kisan Rail services, transporting approximately 6.23 lakh tonns of perishables.

Indian Railways’ focus on freight movement during the pandemic has resulted in over 18 per cent growth in cargo loaded in the first three quarters of the present financial year 2021-22 over the corresponding period of the last previous year.

However, passengers travelling in trains plunged to 1,250 million in 2020-21 from 8,086 million in 2019-20, according to the Economic Survey.

The Railways also targeted 100 per cent electrification of its network by December 2023 upgrading Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata corridors to 160 kmph and also elimination of level crossings on the Golden Quadrilateral/Golden Diagonal routes.

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