Projects Rs 43,445-cr earnings

Banking on increased freight haul and earnings from upper class travellers, Railways has projected a gross earning of Rs 43,445 crore in 2003-04. The total earnings (excluding receipts from Kolkata Metro) for 2003-04 shows a mere 5 per cent increase from the revised estimate of Rs 41,284 crore for this fiscal, even as earnings from the upper class were estimated to rise by over 16 per cent from this year’s revised estimates, the Budget said. The estimated Rs 27,815 crore earnings from goods, which comprises 64 per cent of the total earnings, is, however, a mere over 4 per cent increase from the previous year’s revised estimate of Rs 26,658 crore.

The total earning from passengers was budgeted at Rs 13,620 crore for the next fiscal, which is near 7 per cent rise from the revised figure of Rs 12,730 crore for 2002-03. The earnings from the upper class travellers to increase by over 16 per cent to Rs 3,035.85 crore. The Railways estimate to mop up Rs 10,584.15 crore from the second class passengers.