Bhiwandi Parcel & Goods Shed loaded two parcel trains to Danapur, Bihar and to Shalimar, West Bengal, since its opening on 18.08.2020. Now few more are lined up as the logistics companies are very much enthusiastic to use this goods shed opting for more cheaper, safer and faster mode of transportation of goods like home appliances, electrical and electronic goods. These responses are due to the new business initiatives by Railways through its Business Development Units set up at Mumbai Division.
- On 13th September parcel train loaded with 115 tonnes/9692 packages including home appliances like washing machine, refrigerator, induction appliance, mixture grinder, etc. left Bhiwandi railway goods shed to Kolkata linking to Shalimar Exp.
- Prior to that, on its first trip from the newly constructed Bhiwandi Goods Shed, a parcel train loaded with 86.85 tonnes/3876 packages left for Danapur attaching to Kisan Rail at Devlali.
Mr. Vikas Goyal, Director at Shree Roadways Ltd, India in his tweet mentioned “It’s always a pleasure to work with Central Railway. Looking forward to partner with many such parcel train dispatches in future as well”.The intensive marketing and the WhatsApp group of the Business Development Unit set up by Mumbai Division is yielding huge response from the logistics firms catering to big multinational companies and e-commerce giants having warehouses around Bhiwandi area.
- Bhiwandi goods shed located in close proximity to Mumbai and Thane is well connected with rail connectivity to North and Southern India and more importantly with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust.
- This goods shed at a strategic location is foreseen as a great advantage for e-commerce majors and warehouses of big companies, textile industries & power looms of Bhiwandi for its good approachable Road, adequate parking space for trucks & tempos, adequate stacking area for consignments etc, above all as Indian Railways is offering a cheaper, safer and faster mode of transportation of goods.
- In the coming days, this initiative of goods shed at Bhiwandi Road by the Business Development Unit will prove to be a blessing not only for potential income generation for Railways but also to all SME, MSME and other logistic enterprises, e-commerce majors and multinational companies as well.
Recent Progress:
Central Railway has dispatched 61,978 Tonnes of parcels during the nationwide lockdown and phased unlock period till 10.9.2020. These parcels include essential commodities like perishables, medicines, pharma products, food items and other hard parcels.
To contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic in India all passenger train services were suspended from 23.3.2020. However, freight and parcel trains are running to maintain this supply chain of essential commodities across the country in addition to graded restoration of special trains.
- Railways started time-tabled parcel express trains for quick and timely transport of essential commodities and to maintain the supply chain.
- Central Railway has operated in all 465 parcel trains till 10.9.2020 carrying 38,618 Tonnes of essential commodities including perishables, pharma products/medicines, E-commerce products and other hard parcels.
- Further it is decided to run these parcel express trains upto 31.12.2020.
- Subsequent to restoration of few special trains with effect from 1.6.2020, Central Railway dispatched 19,290 Tonnes of parcels in these special trains till 10.9.2020.
- The Ministry of Railways started India’s first ever Kisan Rail on Central railway from 7.8.2020 between Devlali and Danapur in Bihar as a weekly train to help out farmers in the region to send their Agri produce upto far distant areas of the country quickly and economically.
- This initiative has got immense response from farmers and hence the train extended further upto Muzaffarpur and attaching Kisan link rail at Manmad from Sangola/Pune.
- Kisan Rail is now running as tri-weekly from 8.9.2020.
- Till now Kisan Rail completed 10 trips carrying more than 2,200 Tonnes of perishable commodities like Pomegranates (Anar), Capsicum, Green Chilli, Ginger, Lemon and Ice-fish etc.
- During this Covid-19 pandemic Central Railway dispatched in all 61,978 Tonnes of parcels including 38,618 tonnes in parcel trains; 19,290 tonnes in parcel vans of special trains; Milk tankers 1,804 tonnes and 2,266 tonnes in Kisan Rail.
Source: Central Railway-Press Release | Image Credit: Central Railway
