BR counts cross-border freight traffic, income fall

Munima Sultana | Published: November 30, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

Bangladesh Railway's revenue income from cross-border container service declined 13 per cent in the last fiscal year over the previous fiscal primarily for a fall in cargo transportation by train.
Official data showed that BR earned Tk 223 million as revenue by carrying 511,338 metric tonnes of export-import goods to and from India during the fiscal year 2014-15.
The income was Tk 257 million in FY 2013-14 when it transported 823,092 metric tonnes of cargos.
At present BR wagons carry goods to and from India through three borders points at Darshana, Rohonpur and Benapole mainly to carry goods like stones.
Very nominal number of BR wagons moves to Nepal on special arrangement.
Official sources said as import through BR has declined, its reflection has been found in the state-owned railway sector's earning.
They attributed the drop either to change of modes of transport by importers through land port or change of countries other than India.
There might be mismatch of rail track, axel load and increase in transportation time for the drop, they also said.
Â "Bangladesh used to bring poultry feed, rice, wheat etc by railway, which has now dropped for the country becoming self-reliant in production of those here," said an official.
The data showed that through Benapole border BR earned only Tk 1.7 million last year compared to Tk 12.87 million of FY 2013-14.
Only 207 wagons were used for cross-border freight traffic through Benapole border during the last fiscal year against 1,462 in the previous fiscal year.
Earning of BR through Darshana rail corridor dropped 14 per cent.
During July 2014 to June 2015, it earned Tk 169 million from import of 387,321 metric tonnes of goods against Tk 197 million and 677,708 metric tonnes during the corresponding period of previous fiscal year.
The BR data also showed that the number of wagons used for the interchange traffic also dropped during the last five years. Some 16,345 wagons moved during the last fiscal year against 24,206 in the previous fiscal year.
Bangladesh transported 18,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer to Nepal during the last fiscal year. The volume was 11,000 metric tonnes and 60,000 metric tonnes in previous two years.
Â Â Â smunima@yahoo.com