“Our aim is to also improve infrastructural facilities at goods shed and to remove various operating constraints ,” said Sumit Thakur in a statement. (Representationl)
The Western Railways is looking to tap the business potential in transportation of agricultural and industrial produce in Gujarat, which were earlier dependent on road transport, through its freight trains by setting up four ‘multi-disciplinary’ Business Development Units (BDUs) in four cities of Gujarat for the railway officials to interact with the representatives of industry, trade and commerce and agricultural produce market committees (APMC).
According to officials of the WR, four cities — Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar– will have BDUs which will constitute a committee of Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) officers from operating, commercial, finance, mechanical and engineering departments of the railways at zonal level. The task of these committees would be to interact frequently with the representatives from Chamber of Commerce, Trade, Industry, Ports and APMCs in order to boost the freight traffic of the Indian Railways.
“As per a directive by the Railways board in order to give boost to freight traffic, General Manager of WR, Alok Kansal has directed setting up of multi-disciplinary BDUs at zonal headquarters and divisional units of WR. It aims to simplify the decision making process at the field level while simultaneously aiming at better outreach to existing and potential customers,” read a statement from the office of Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer, WR.
Thakur said the Western Railways is planning to double the freight it is currently carrying by 2024 by attracting additional traffic of non-bulk traditional commodities until now moved by road.
“Our aim is to also improve infrastructural facilities at goods shed and to remove various operating constraints ,” said Thakur in a statement.