Southern Railway sets up biz unit to boost freight traffic

Chennai: A business development unit (BDU) has been set up here by the Southern Railway to strengthen its ties with trade and industry besides an increase in freight traffic. As per the directions of the Railway Board, the Southern Railway on Sunday said BDUs were established at zonal and divisional-levels of the railways with focus on bringing it closer to industry and trade.

The move would also give an opportunity to increase the share of railways in transportation of non-bulk goods, among others, a press release said.

A BDU would comprise a chief freight transportation manager and three members who would initiate steps to attract new streams of traffic by interacting with industry and also explore the possibility of attracting additional freight traffic, the release said.


Like the BDU in Chennai, five such units were being planned in other divisions of the Southern Railway, it said. Southern Railway serves six ports and several cement plants apart from major thermal power stations, steel plants and industries.

The railways has introduced a slew of policy initiatives to attract rail freight traffic and it was committed to work with the industry in formulating policies that can be more tailored to suit specific industry needs, the release said.