SCR earnings cross Rs 10,000 cr: DRM

Vijayawada: The Vijayawada division of South Central Railway (SCR) celebrated 67th the Independence Day at the rail stadium in the city on Thursday. Addressing the gathering, Divisional Railway Manager of SCR Pradeep Kumar called for rekindling the noble values that marked India’s struggle for independence.

Hoisting the tri-colour, he said that the South Central Railway was moving ahead on the path of high growth in recent times with record earnings of over Rs 10,000 crore. Gross earnings for the period April to July, 2012 totalled Rs 3,357 crore, he said. SCR has accorded top priority to safety and security of the passengers and accidents decreased by 80 per cent over last year, he said.

Speaking about progress in the SCR, he said that SCR was upgrading the passenger amenity infrastructure by providing modern facilities. A sum of Rs 88 crore was spent last year for creating infrastructure, while this year Rs 124 crore was allotted for the zone. As many as 37 stations were developed as Adarsh stations and another 14 stations are under progress. Work on setting up 38 more lifts and 35 escalators at 16 stations in the near future was initiated, said Pradeep Kumar.

He thanked the employees for their constant cooperation in achieving good results in the zone. There is a lot of scope for further growth in rail traffic to meet the transportation needs of this region, he added. The DRM called upon the employees to work with dedication to meet the challenges ahead. Mentally challenged children from Aasha Kiran Home performed dance and presented themselves in the attires of Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose and other freedom fighters. Jaya Bharathi, a drama, was played by the students of the Railway High School to mark the occasion.