South Central Railway celebrates 77th Independence Day
On this momentous occasion of 77th Independence Day, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all members of South Central Railway Rail Parivar. As we hoist the tricolor flag, it is also an opportunity to honour the memory of our valiant freedom fighters whose sacrifices greatly contributed to the liberty we cherish today. As we unite in the nationwide celebrations of Independence Day, let us also make a commitment to uphold the principles that ignited the freedom struggle of our great nation.
In this context, I take great pride in sharing with you that Team SCR, alongside their families, has spontaneously responded to the clarion call of our Hon’ble Prime Minister. They have wholeheartedly embraced the “Har Ghar Tiranga” initiative, demonstrating their enthusiasm by hoisting the national flag at their residences.
As the patriotic fervor continues to reverberate across the length and breadth of the Nation, it is also a moment for us to reflect on the significant contribution that railways have made to the progress of our country. I take this opportunity to share with you all that our committed team has demonstrated outstanding achievements during the past financial year, resulting in SCR registering record performance across various segments. Whether it’s in terms of revenue, infrastructure development, freight transportation or material management, the Zone has achieved its best-ever performance since its establishment.
Continuing the same confident strides, South Central Railway has displayed all-round performance to keep the wheels of progress moving at a rapid pace. Despite encountering several challenges, the meticulous strategies executed by our team have resulted in SCR achieving its highest-ever earnings during the initial four months of this financial year. The Gross Originating Revenue of the zone reached Rs. 6,697 crores, compared to the previous year’s figure of Rs. 5,909 Crore. The robust growth in revenue was driven by record-breaking earnings in both the Passenger and Freight sectors. The zone achieved remarkable freight revenue of Rs. 4,463 Crore, while the passenger segment contributed Rs. 1,937 Crore. These achievements were supported by effectively addressing the transportation requirements of 92 million passengers and 45.49 million tonnes of freight.
Safety continues to be the overriding priority in all our operations. After eliminating all unmanned level crossings, the Zone has taken up the task of systematically eliminating manned level crossings. In the current fiscal nine manned LCs have been eliminated by constructing RUBs or ROBs. To strengthen our tracks, large-scale maintenance activity has been taken up and nearly 196 kms of track renewal has been carried out. In addition, to strengthen safety of our operations, 03 new crossing stations, 06 Emergency sliding booms, 16 electrically operated lifting barriers at LC gates and 14 Electronic Interlocking systems have been commissioned during the current fiscal. Kavach – India’s indigenous Automatic Train Protection System has been extended to 1,465 kms.
The Zone continues to give a major thrust towards creation of infrastructure. During April – July, several works related to doubling & tripling of railway lines have been taken up to ease the congestion in saturated sections of the zone. These include: 20 Kms doubling between Tarlupadu – Jaggambotla Krishnapuram, 11 Kms doubling between Guntakal – Maddikera, 17 Kms doubling between Savalyapuram – Cheekateegalapalem and 17 Kms tripling between Nekkonda – Chintalpalli. To accommodate freight trains longer loop line has been commissioned at Makudi railway station. Simultaneously, Mission Electrification has been progressing at a rapid pace with nearly 90% of the SCR rail network being electrified.
SCR has been continuously introducing new trains to meet the growing aspirations of its rail passengers. In the current year, this received a big boost with the Hon’ble Prime Minister flagging-off the Vande Bharat Express from Secunderabad to Tirupati, 13 New MMTS Services in the New Sub-urban sections Secunderabad – Medchal and 20 MMTS services in the extended section from Falaknuma – Umdanagar. In fact, due to consistently high demand for the Secunderabad – Tirupati Vande Bharat, the train composition has been increased from 8 to 16 coaches. Similarly, introduction of new MMTS Train services has extended the network of MMTS Services from 48 kms to 90 kms.
SCR sports Association continues to promote sporting engagement within the zone through the organization of various inventive initiatives such as Summer Camps, concurrently fostering a wellness-oriented approach for our staff. The cultural activities on the Zone have experienced rejuvenation, as SCR Lalitha Kala Samithi undertook a multitude of captivating and engaging initiatives this year. SCR Women’s Welfare Organization continues to provide yeoman service by diligently extending its welfare activities, contributing to the well-being of Railway families and the local community. It’s also a proud moment for the zone that the yeoman services being rendered by the Civil Defence has received recognition at the National level with one of our staff Shri. T. Sudheer Babu, Sr Civil Defence Instructor being awarded the President’s Medal for his Meritorious Service.
The reputation garnered by South Central Railway as one of the best performing Zones on Indian Railways not only bestows upon us an increased sense of responsibility but also motivates us to put-in increased efforts. The Zone, known for its dedicated staff and innovative work culture needs to be continued to achieving greater achievements in our spheres of working. Let us forge ahead with enhanced commitment and unwavering dedication to ensure SCR’s flag continues to soar proudly.
