BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT UNIT IN PALAKKAD DIVISION TO ENHANCE FREIGHT BUSINESS
A Business Development Unit (BDU) at Palakkad Railway Division has been set up to cater to the transportation needs of various sectors, including non-bulk goods traffic like white goods, finished goods, manufactured products, Agricultural produce and raw materials. The BDU 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 BDU has been set up by Divisional Railway Manager, Palakkad, Shri Pratap Singh Shami, in line with BDUs at Zonal and Divisional Levels as per directions from the Ministry of Railways. In addition to Palakkad, BDUs are being set up at Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai, Tiruchchirappalli, Chennai and Salem.
The BDU will work under the supervision of ADRM-II, Shri C.T. Sakkeer Hussain, IRPS. Shri P.L. Ashok Kumar, IRTS, Senior Divisional Operations Manager is the convener and Shri Jerin G. Anand, IRTS Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Shri K.V. Sundaresan, IRSME Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer, Shri A.P. Sivachandar, IRAS , Senior Divisional Finance Manager are the members of BDU.
The members of BDU 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.
Business Development Unit of Palakkad Division can be contacted on: 0491 2556198 (BSNL), 97467 63956(Mobile), ccpgt@pgt.railnet.gov.in, comlpgt@gmail.com
LOADING/ UNLOADING FACILITIES IN PALAKKAD DIVISION
In Palakkad Division, good sheds (loading and unloading points) are available at Pollachi Junction, Palakkad Junction, Tirunaavaya, Angadippuram, Nilambur Road, Kallayi, West Hill, Tikkotti, Etakkot, Valapattanam, Nileshwar, Bunder (Mangaluru Central) and Panambur ( Mangaluru Port). In order to ease the freight handling more and more facilities are being added to the goods sheds as per the directives of the Hon'ble Minister of Railways.
NEW STREAM OF TRAFFIC
Railway is keen on exploring the new avenue of freight traffic. Recently South Central Railway moved first of its kind international Parcel Express carrying dried red chillies from Guntur to its destination in Bangladesh. Recently Palakkad Division had transported Refined Palm Oil ( packed in 15 litre tins. and 10 litre carton boxes) in 42 BCN rake from Panambur station to Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh). Palakkad Station also loaded KAMCO power tillers to Northern eastern states.