NEW DELHI: Indian Railways revises its Freight Policy during Unlock 3.0 to boost its freight traffic. The new policy measures are expected to further boost the incentives for all freight customers to transport their goods through Railways.
 
More relaxations have been provided to the customers by a slew of incentives announced by Indian Railways. These incentives are expected to boost the economy.
 
Railways has already overtaken last year’s figures for the corresponding period. In the month of August 2020, it has loaded 8.64 MT freight as compared to 8.37 MT last year same period. It hopes to achieve great results in spite of many challenges during the COVID-19 situation with revised freight policy.
 
The revised Freight Policy measures are:
 
1. Alternate Goods shed Policy: Terminal Charge shall not be levied on traffic booked from alternate goods sheds, instead of identified busy goods shed.
 
2. Free time relaxation for covered wagons: Zonal Railways are empowered to relax the free time up to double of normal free time and/or non-levy of demurrage/wharfage in case of covered stock during lean season i.e. up to 30.09.2020.
 
3. Permission to accept road weighbridge weighment to certain goods sheds of South Central Railway for loading of Granite- all documents and data to be captured in the system.
 
4. Terminal Access Charge Concession @50% has been granted on container traffic handled at Group-III Container Rail Terminals.
 
5. Stabling Charge on container traffic: Not to be levied on container traffic from 18.05.2020 to 31.10.2020.
 
6. A discount of 5% on haulage charge per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) rates is given on loaded containers from 04.08.2020 to 30.04.2021.
 
7. Piecemeal traffic aggregation under Traditional Empty Flow Direction:  Lower limit relaxed to 10 wagons under empty flow streams to target piecemeal traffic in covered wagons like (BCN and BCNHL).
 
8. Concession to loose/bulk Fly ash: A concession of 40% is given for loading in open wagons covered with Tarpaulin.
 
9. Industrial Salt: Classification has been lowered from class 120 to class 100A and loading is allowed in bulk/ loose in open wagons, so as to re-capture and gain additional traffic.
 
10. Two-point loading in automobile: Operational flexibility given to the automobile sector with two-point loading.

Source: dst.news