Railways earned Rs 2.4 lakh cr in 2022–23 with operating ratio of 98.10%: Vaishnaw

New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) Post Covid-19, Railways achieved the highest ever total revenue of 2,40,177 cr in 2022-23 with operating ratio of 98.10 per cent, Rajya Sabha was told.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the house on Thursday that the railways spent Rs 98.10 to earn Rs 100 in 2022-23.

Vaishnaw's answer came in response to a question raised by Jawhar Sircar, Rajya Sabha MP from the All India Trinamool Congress party, who asked, "Whether the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has declared that finances of the Indian Railways have slipped into 'concern zone' in 2021-22." Sircar asked the minister to provide a year-wise operating ratio of Railways over the last five years and whether Railways spent Rs 107 to earn Rs 100 in 2021-22.

"Whether it is a fact that if accounting adjustments like considering advances for next financial year as receipts are ignored, the ratio has stayed above 100 per cent since 2018-19," the Rajya Sabha MP also asked.

In response, Vaishnaw stated that CAG in its report 13 of 2023 examined railways finances to the end of March 2022 and submitted its recommendations.

"Railway operations continued to be adversely impacted by the disruption induced by Covid-19 in 2021-22 also. Despite this Railways' achieved total receipts of 1,91,367 cr. against 1,40,783 cr. in 2020-21 i.e. incremental revenues of 50,584 cr," he said.

"Post Covid-19 period, Railways achieved the highest ever total revenue of 2,40,177 cr. in 2022-23 with operating ratio (OR) of 98.10%. The receipts including advances etc. are accounted for as per laid down policy," the minister added.

The five-year data, provided by the minister, shows that the Railways spent Rs 97.30 in 2018-19, Rs 98.36 in 2019-2020, and Rs 97.45 in 2020-2021 to earn Rs 100. PTI