Southern Railway forms Business Development Unit to push freight business

As directed by the Railway Board, a Business Development Unit (BDU) has been formed in Southern Railway to increase focus on freight business. Similar units at the divisional levels are also being set up.

The BDU set up by Southern Railway General Manager John Thomas will have N Sreekumar, Chief Freight Transportation Manager as convener. R Senthilkumar, Chief Commercial Manager (Freight Marketing), S Krishnamoorthy, Financial Advisor & Chief Accounts Officer /Traffic, and P Suresh, Chief Rolling Stock Engineer, will be members.

The focus of the BDU is to bring Railways closer to industry and trade, and increase the Railway’s share in the transportation needs of various sectors, including non-bulk goods traffic. It will facilitate industry, trade representatives, and rail freight customers to get in touch with the Railways at appropriate zonal and divisional levels. It will also help in the expeditious clearance of their proposals for freight movement, which will benefit both the industry and the Railways, the release said.

The BDU members will initiate steps to attract new streams of traffic by interacting with trade and industry at frequent intervals; to understand the existing pattern of goods transportation and explore the possibility of attracting additional freight traffic to Railways. The BDU will also serve as a nodal point for speedy operationalisation of new traffic proposals after due analysis.

Southern Railway serves six ports, and sectors, including cement, thermal power and steel. The Indian Railways has introduced many policy initiatives to attract rail freight traffic tailored to suit specific industry needs. Over the next few weeks, the BDU members will be in touch with all stakeholders, the release said.