Bhubaneswar: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has set up Business Development Units (BDUs), both at Zonal and Divisional levels, to bring Railways closer to industry and trade in order to increase Railway’s share in the transportation needs of various sectors, including non-bulk goods traffic.
The BDU set up at zonal level by ECoR general manager Vidya Bhushan will be a 4 member unit comprising of chief freight transportation manager, Sanjay Mishra as convener, chief commercial manager (freight services), P.C. Sahoo, chief rolling stock engineer (freight) S.P. Singh and financial advisor & chief accounts officer B. K. Mishra as members.
Similar BDUs have also been formed in all the three Divisions of ECoR at Khurda Road, Visakhapatnam and Sambalpur, comprising the Branch Officer members from relevant fields, i.e. from Operating, Commercial, Mechanical and Finance Departments and coordinated by Sr. Divisional Operations Managers.
BDUs will have frequent interaction with trade and industries to know about the existing transportation patterns and also to attract more traffic to Railways. It will facilitate industry, trade representatives and rail freight customers to get in touch with the Railways at appropriate zonal and divisional levels. These BDUs will serve as a nodal point for expeditious clearance of their proposals for freight movement, which will benefit both the customers and the Railways.
Attracting new traffic:
BDUs will interact frequently with the customers and industries and explore ways to increase miscellaneous non-bulk goods traffic, along with strengthening Railway’s share in traditional commodities being carried at present. Any proposal received, shall be promptly analyzed and developed and immediate assistance will be sought from Zonal Railways and Railway Board, if required. This Unit will focus to meet Indian Railway’s target of doubling the freight traffic of by 2024.
