New Delhi, May 12 (IANS): The Indian Railways on Thursday said that it has created a non-fare revenue directorate (NFR) to enhance its earnings by 10 to 20 percent from non-tariff sources.

According to the Ministry of Railways, the step was taken in compliance with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu’s budget speech to reorganise the railway board and set up cross functional directorates.

Further, the ministry elaborated that the new directorate would look to enhance revenue from advertisement and branding at stations, coaches and locomotives and commercial exploitation of vacant land among others.

Other areas for generation of revenue would include commercial farming alongside railway tracks; monetisation of soft assets, including generation of revenue from websites through advertisements and web links. 

The ministry pointed out that the new directorate will be manned by SAG (senior administrative grade), SG (selection grade) level officers posted from engineering, traffic commercial and finance departments. 

"This new directorate would work directly under the supervision of chairman, railway board," said the ministry in a statement.