PREFERENTIAL TRAFFIC ORDER
Movement of wagon load traffic, is regulated by what is known as the Schedule of Preferential Traffic, laid down by the Central Government (Railway Board) under Section 71 Of The Railways Act, 1989 and is designed to ensure that certain essential commodities and urgent movements are accorded necessary preference at a time when the available transport is not adequate to meet with all the demands. Traffic is classified into 4 categories viz., A, B, C, and D. Commodities registered in the lower categories cannot have preference over those registered in the higher categories although the former may have been registered much earlier.
1. This Priority Schedule is decided by Traffic Transportation Directorate of Railway Board.
2. It lists the Sponsoring Authority and Accepting Authority for programmed traffic.
Section 71 of the Railways Act, 1989 the Central Government hereby directs that all Railway Administrations shall give special facilities for or preference to the
transport of goods/class of goods at a station/siding as per priority/preference in the following order:
Priority ‘A’- Military traffic, when sponsored by MILRAIL and approved by
Railway Board.
Priority ‘B’- a) Goods for emergency work for victims of natural calamities, like floods, drought, earthquake etc. b) Programmed traffic like food grains and levy sugar for public distribution system.
Priority ‘C’- All Programmed traffic, commodities when sponsored and accepted by authority.
Priority ‘D’- All traffic not included in priority ‘A’ to ‘C’.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Traffic will have preference over other traffic within the same class of priority in the following order:
a) Traffic covered by contractual obligations and/or guaranteed under specific schemes like Wagon Investment Scheme, Freight Forwarder Scheme, Terminal Incentive –cum-Engine-On-Load scheme (TIELS) etc.
b) Traffic in rakes loaded from a Siding/Good shed having round the clock working.
c) Traffic in rakes a full rake handling siding having mechanized system of loading.
2. Traffic offered for distance of more than 800 kms will have preference over other traffic within the same classification and priority.
3. Traffic offered in block rakes, including clubbed indents constituting a block rake will be given preference over traffic in piecemeal irrespective of the class of priority and date of registration.
4. Traffic offered in single point block rakes will be given preference over two point/multi-points block rakes and mini rakes within the same class of priority.
5. Any traffic can be accorded preferential loading and movement under a higher priority under special orders issued by the Ministry of Railways, Railway Board/Zonal Railways.
6. Two days in a week shall be reserved and notified for allotment of rakes as per the date of registration irrespective of the class of priority.
