Vijayawada Division, SCR holds Freight Customers Meet

South Central Railway, Vijayawada Division held a Freight Customer Meet on 17th May, 2023 at Divisional Conference Hall, DRM Office, Vijayawada. Shri Shivendra Mohan, Divisional Railway Manager presided over the Meeting with Divisional Freight Customers along with Shri D. Srinivasa Rao, ADRM, Infrastructure, Shri M. Srikanth, ADRM, Operations and Branch Officers. The Meeting was held with an objective to review the loading projections, prospective new streams of traffic, supply of rakes, bottle necks, enhance the throughput and wagon turnaround of the Division with the esteemed freight customers of the Division.

At the outset, Shri V. Rambabu, Sr. DCM welcomed the executives of various firms dealing with Freight business across the length of the Division. He thanked the executives for their wonderful contribution during 2022-23 and playing a major role in the Growth story of the Division. He has highlighted the projected loading, prospective new streams; analysis of loading of various commodities, development of goods sheds including development of world class freight terminal at Kakinada etc. through a power point presentation.

Shri Shivendra Mohan, Divisional Railway Manager, Vijayawada Division in his opening address, thanked the freight customers for their valuable support and contribution in freight segment over the years. DRM stated that Vijayawada Division achieved highest incremental loading of 56.46% in the FY 2022-23 amongst all the Divisions of Indian Railways and this rare feat was possible due to the proper coordination, team planning and infrastructural works undertaken to ease the bottlenecks across the Division. DRM said that the Freight ecosystem existing currently in Indian Railways is very much liberalized, customer centric with policy changes at rapid pace to create a level playing field. DRM stressed that freight transport through rail is the most energy efficient and safest option for all the trade industry partners and the imminent need to regain the rail coefficient share and recapture diverted long and short lead traffic. He also highlighted the latest developments in Freight Operations Information System like e- Forwarding Note, E-RR, dispensing away with earlier rigmarole manual procedure and making it convenient and easy for all the stakeholders

Later, the Officials and the Executives of Freight Industry took part in the interactive sessions discussing the Loading projections, Prospective new streams, Bottle necks and infrastructure up-gradation works on the cards to facilitate smooth and quicker movement of freight. Executives & Branch Officers discussed regarding the problems faced at the field level in the daily working and the action plan in place to increase the wagon turnaround of the Division case by case. Shri Shivendra Mohan, DRM suggested the executives to promptly finish the loading process to avoid the wagon detention and demurrage charges. He assured cooperation and full scale assistance with regard to issues at the field level in the loading stations and revamping of amenities at Good Sheds.

 Shri D. Srinivasa Rao, ADRM, Infrastructure, Shri M. Srikanth, ADRM, Operations Shri V. Rambabu, Sr. DCM, Shri D. Narendra Varma, Sr. DOM, Shri E. Santharam, Sr. DEN, Co-ord. Shri T. Suresh, Sr.DEE, Maintenance, Shri M. Ravi Kiran, Sr. DME, Shri, K. Sreenivasa Rao, Sr. DEE, Operations, Shri E. V. Shivaramakrishna, Sr.DFM, Shri Ali khan, DCM, Shri, V. Ravi  Varma, ACM, Inspectors and staff  took part in the freight customers meet.