CAIT urges railways freight reforms aligning with PM Modi's vision
New Delhi, May 11
The Confederation of All India Traders Secretary General and Member of Parliament Praveen Khandelwal on Monday wrote to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging comprehensive reforms to increase transparency, efficiency and trade-friendliness of rail freight and parcel services.
Khandelwal's letter, sent in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's to use railways for parcel movement, called for dedicated freight facilitation centers for traders and real-time consignment tracking facilities.
He suggested a fully digital freight booking process, rationalised freight rates, increased parcel van capacity and modern loading and unloading infrastructure, a statement from CAIT said.
Further, he appealed to strengthen last‑mile connectivity, establishing an effective grievance redressal mechanism and institutionalising regular dialogue between railway authorities and trade organisations.
If railway freight services are made more efficient, accountable, and trade‑friendly, millions of traders and MSMEs across the country would naturally prefer railways for the transportation of goods, Khandelwal said.
He stressed that railway transport is the most economical, environment-friendly, and efficient mode for freight movement. A large-scale shift of goods transportation from roads to railways would substantially reduce petrol and diesel consumption, lower logistics costs, reduce pollution, ease pressure on highways, and contribute significantly toward building a greener and stronger India.
He requested a meeting with the railway minister to discuss practical measures and policy reforms.
Khandelwal appreciated the massive transformation and modernisation undertaken in Indian Railways over the past several years, including improvements in railway infrastructure, electrification, dedicated freight corridors, technological integration and station redevelopment
Praveen Khandelwal welcomed PM Modi's recent appeal to reduce excessive dependence on road transport and increasingly use railways for transportation of goods and parcels.
PM Modi gave a call to the nation to adopt a seven-point resolve, which, if implemented effectively, will further strengthen the country's economic position, CAIT Secretary General said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is exactly what we need! As someone whose family runs a small trading business in Gujarat, I know how frustrating the current system is. Real-time tracking and digital booking would save us so much time. But I hope they also fix the last-mile connectivity issue - that's where things usually fall apart. 😊
Good suggestions but I'm skeptical about how much will actually change. We've heard these reform promises before. The railway bureaucracy is massive - unless they streamline decision-making at the ground level, these facilities won't help traders in smaller towns. Still, kudos to CAIT for pushing this.
Interesting perspective from an Indian trade perspective. In Australia, we've seen similar shifts toward rail freight for environmental reasons. The focus on digital processes and real-time tracking is spot-on - that's what modern logistics needs. Hope India can implement this efficiently.
As a logistics professional, I can tell you that rationalised freight rates are the real need of the hour. Current pricing structure is arbitrary and hurts small players. Also, more parcel vans would help with perishable goods - farmers in my area would benefit tremendously. Let's hope this isn't just another committee report collecting dust. 🤞
Love the environmental angle! If we shift even 20% of truck freight to railways, imagine the reduction in diesel imports and pollution. Modi ji's vision of greener transport is admirable. But practical challenges like theft during transit and delayed deliveries need urgent addressing. Digital tracking should help with accountability.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.