Bhubaneswar: Business Development Units (BDUs) have been set up in East Coast Railway (ECoR), both at Zonal and Divisional levels, to bring railways closer to industry and trade bodies in order to increase the Railway’s share in the transportation needs of various sectors.
The BDU set up at zonal level by GM, ECoR, Vidya Bhushan, will be a four-member unit comprising Chief Freight Transportation Manager Sanjay Mishra as convener; Chief Commercial Manager (Freight Services), PC Sahoo; Chief Rolling Stock Engineer (Freight), SP Singh; and Financial Advisor & Chief Accounts Officer, B K Mishra, as members.
BDUs have also been formed in all the three divisions of ECoR at Khurda Road, Visakhapatnam and Sambalpur, comprising the branch office members from relevant fields – from operating, commercial, mechanical and finance departments- and coordinated by Senior Divisional Operations Managers.
BDUs will have frequent interactions 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. 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.
BDUs will interact 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. Proposal received, shall be promptly analysed and developed and immediate assistance will be sought from Zonal Railways and Railway Board, if required. The unit will focus to meet Indian Railway’s target of doubling the freight traffic of by 2024.
