Severe fund crunch has adversely affected the Railways' rolling stock programme as the national transporter pruned down the wagon procurement order for the next fiscal."The rolling stock programme for the year 2012-13 has fallen short of funds. The crunch is so acute that the acquisition plan for wagons has been pruned down to a mere 12,000 for the next year (2012-13) as against 18,000 wagons in the current year (2011-12)," Railway sources said.Wagon procurement is considered crucial for railways as it is the wagon that earns revenue for Indian Railways. It is the profits from its freight operations that enables railways to subsidise passenger traffic, especially in lower classes.It cost about Rs 30 lakh per wagon. In 2009-10 and 2010-11, railways had procured 13,000 and 14,600 wagons respectively.Railways have earmarked Rs 3,600 crore to buy 12,000 wagons next fiscal as against Rs 4,000 crore for 18,000 wagons in the current fiscal."If the freight loading growth target has to be achieved then railways need yo induct at least 20,000 new wagons every year," sources added.
Railways have about 2.5 lakh wagons in its fleet out of which 4,500 wagons are being scrapped every year as a wagon has 25 years of shelf life.While railway officials are concerned over such a low level procurement of wagons which is being feared to jeopardise the growth of the national transporter, industry is equally concerned about the development."If the wagon procurement for the next year is an indication, then coming years do not bode well for railways and the Indian economy and specifically the wagon industry." they said.
Railways have about 2.5 lakh wagons in its fleet out of which 4,500 wagons are being scrapped every year as a wagon has 25 years of shelf life.While railway officials are concerned over such a low level procurement of wagons which is being feared to jeopardise the growth of the national transporter, industry is equally concerned about the development."If the wagon procurement for the next year is an indication, then coming years do not bode well for railways and the Indian economy and specifically the wagon industry." they said.
