Coimbatore : Continuing with the sustained focus being given on increasing the freight business carried out by the Railways, a Business Development Unit (BDU) is being set up at Salem Division (Divisional level) over Southern Railway.

The focus of these units is to double the freight carried by Railways by 2024, with particular focus in strengthening Railways’ share in existing traffic while at the same time strongly foraying into miscellaneous non bulk goods traffic.

As part of it, Divisional Railway Manager, Salem Division U Subbarao approved setting up of a multi disciplinary BDU at the Divisional
level comprising Junior Administrative Grade officers from all major relevant fields.

M. Harikumar, Senior Divisional Operations Manager, would be the convener of the BDU and will have E. Harikrishnan, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager S. Uma Maheswari, Senior Divisional Finance Manager , and S. Mukundan,
Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer as its members.

The committee will have frequent interactions with the trade and industry 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 any new traffic proposals.

The freight traffic of Salem Division is back on the track of recovery, post the nation-wide lock down imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The freight traffic has been consistently increasing from 0.067 MT in April, to 0.227 MT in May and 0.245 MT in June. Importantly, traffic in several commodities has been increasing and in some commodities, has even crossed last year’s level of loading, a divisional release said today.

For example, cement loading, which was only 0.013 MT in April, has risen continuously to 0.079 MT in May and to 0.069 MT in June. In fact, the cement loading in June is higher than the cement loading witnessed in June, last year
0.065 MT), it said.

Subba Rao,has advised members of the newly formed Business Development Committee to have regular interactions with both the existing and new customers, so that focus is given equally to improve the freight traffic in both the segments.