Ranchi: The South Eastern Railway (SER), which administers train movements in a large part of the state, has emerged as the second-most punctual railway zone of the country with a timeliness rate of 90.72 per cent.

The feat punctures the popular notion that trains run late in this part of the country.

Divulging this during a media briefing at his Hatia office here on Monday, Ranchi divisional railway manager V.K. Gupta further said the performance of Ranchi division, a part of the SER, was better than the zonal figure, an impressive 96.77 per cent.

He said the zone came second only to Western Railways which managed a 91.41 per cent punctuality rate in the 2017-18 period.

"We have also achieved a favourable performance efficiency index (PEI) or operation ratio (OR) of 97.70 during the last financial year that ended March 31," he further said, adding that the figures this year were better compared to the previous year's ratio of 109.71. The indices, PEI or OR, are used for judging financial performance and a lower ratio indicates better fiscal health. Gupta attributed the improvement to higher revenue generation.

Providing specific data, Gupta said, "Ranchi division generated revenue worth Rs 665 crore during 2017-18of which Rs 351 crore came from freight while Rs 266 crore from passenger fares."

The freight revenue rose by 60 percent over 2016-17 . The division handled 4.32 million tonnes of freight during 2017-18 compared to 3.49 MT during 2016-17.

Speaking of passenger amenities under his division, he said nine special trains were pressed to service to clear extra rush while three trains had received LHB coaches. He added that e-toilets would be fitted in Ranchi station soon, he said.