Operating ratio is the ratio between expenditure and investment and lower ratio indicates better management of investment. SER has also plans to employ a consultant to rationalise the use of trains.

"We are confident that SER would be able to contain the operating ratio this fiscal at last fiscal's 77 per cent which is much lower than the national ratio of more than 93 per cent," SER's general manager RK Thoopal said at his first press conference here on Tuesday.

"We have been maintaining the ratio at 77 per cent for the last two fiscals and considering the trends in the first two months of the current fiscal, we would be able to contain it at that level provided nothing unusual happens," he said.

He said that the railway had set a freight loading target of 175.5mt for the current fiscal against 166.6mt achieved in 1999-2000. "Although the target is a difficult one it could be achieved. If the performance in April and May is any indicator, we can even surpass the target," he said. During this period, SER achieved a freight loading of 28.64mt, a growth of 10 per cent over that in the same period previous year, against the target of 27.89mt.

Cement movement has gone up by 35 per cent during the period against the corresponding period last fiscal. Steel and coal is also showing signs of improvement. "Therefore, we have reasons to be optimistic," Thoopal said.

SER, which reported a gross revenue of Rs 5925 crore and gross surplus of Rs 2064 crore, has been allocated Rs 1,345 crore as planned expenditure against Rs 1,158 crore last fiscal. During the current year it plans to complete 56km of doubling of existing lines, laying of 100km of new lines and electrification of the Adra-Midnapore section.

He said that the 74-km-long Howrah-Amta line will be ready by July and the work for 88km Tamluk-Digha is expected to be completed by December this year. Work on 155km Daitari-Banspani, 78km Haridaspur-Paradip, 90km Angul-Sukinda Road and 23km Bisrampur-Ambikapur lines are going on in full swing.

SER has also taken up gauge conversion of Ranchi-Lohardaga line with extension up to Tori, Jabalpur-Gondia line including Balaaghat-Katangi line, Bankura-Damodar River Valley line and Rupsa-Bangriposi line.