FIRST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT UNIT MEETING HELD IN VISAKHAPATNAM DIVISION OF SOUTH COAST RAILWAY
The first Business Development Unit (BDU) Meeting of Visakhapatnam Division, South Coast Railway, was held today (19th June, 2026) at the Divisional Office, Visakhapatnam, under the guidance of Shri Lalit Bohra, Divisional Railway Manager, Visakhapatnam Division. The meeting was attended by Shri Vineet Kumar, Principal Chief Operations Manager (PCOM), Shri K. Sambasiva Rao, Principal Chief Commercial Manager (PCCM), and representatives from major freight stakeholders including CONCOR, Visakhapatnam Port Authority, Gangavaram Port, RINL (Visakhapatnam Steel Plant), HPCL and other business partners.
Among the prominent participants were Shri P. Satyanarayana Chief Commercial Manager (Freight), SCoR; Shri P. Chaitanya Chief Freight Transportation Manager, SCoR; Shri Saandeep, General Manager, CONCOR; Shri R.K. Thawait, General Manager (Traffic), RINL; Shri Avatar Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Gangavaram Port; and Shri K.P. Ramesh, Deputy General Manager (LPG), HPC; Shri K Pavan Kumar Senior Divisinal Commercial Manager, Visakahaptnam Division; Shri A.Avinash, Senior Divisional Operations Manager. The meeting focused on strengthening logistics partnerships and exploring new avenues for enhancing freight business and customer engagement.
During the meeting, a detailed review of freight loading and earnings achieved during the current financial year was undertaken. Commodity-wise analysis and growth trends over the corresponding previous years were also discussed. Shri Lalit Bohra, DRM/Visakhapatnam, informed that the Division has set an ambitious freight loading target of 55.0 Million Tonnes (MT) for the current financial year. Senior Headquarters officers assured full support and cooperation in achieving the target.
Issues pertaining to rake availability, placement, transit time and operational constraints were deliberated in detail and assurances were given for prompt resolution of customer concerns. Freight customers were encouraged to explore additional loading opportunities and contribute towards achieving the freight targets during the current financial year.
Shri K. Sambasiva Rao, PCCM, advised the customers to identify potential traffic streams and promote modal shift from road to rail. He also emphasized strict adherence to safety norms during loading and unloading operations to prevent damage to rolling stock and ensure safe freight handling practices.
Shri Vineet Kumar, PCOM, assured prompt supply of rakes and encouraged customers to take advantage of various Railway incentive schemes for generating additional traffic. He emphasized the need for close coordination and a collaborative approach between Railways and freight customers to achieve the business targets set for the year.
The meeting reaffirmed South Coast Railway’s commitment towards customer-centric freight operations and strengthening partnerships with key stakeholders to drive sustainable growth in freight business.