The power looms and warehouses in Bhiwandi, Asia’s largest loom town, can now use the rail mode for transportation of goods and parcel as the Central Railway has begun operations of Bhiwandi Road Station on Wednesday.
The Central Railway, Mumbai Division found it to be an essential service for the city, which will also increase employment opportunities generated for locals as well.
Shalabh Goel, Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai, said, “This service will benefit the textile industry as Bhiwandi is known for many power looms. Moreover, the railway station is well connected and approachable by road, we have prepared adequate stacking areas for consignments and space for parking trucks and tempos.
There are labourers deployed for loading and unloading of goods, each parcel service car can provide employment to 150 people, which is also a boon for the locals.”
The first parcel train with five parcel vans fully loaded with various commodities like refrigerators, furniture, medicines and cosmetic goods have been loaded from Bhiwandi Road Station, Maharashtra to be sent to Danapur in Bihar on Wednesday.
As Bhiwandi Road Station falls in the north-south rail route and is also connected to JNPT, it has proximity to Mumbai and Thane cities. Hence, it is considered an apt location for goods and parcel traffic.
“It was a request put forth by the people that we took forward and implemented. It is an accessible location and beneficial for many as well. In future, we are planning to develop a similar industrial corridor from Vasai to JNPT. We have also planned to improve the goods shed at Mulund and Kalamboli. Also a proposal to start a Ro-Ro service from Kalamboli towards Kerala has been put forth,” added Goel.
The average loading per day of goods has increased from 1,028 in 2019 to 1,116 in 2020 in the month of September within Mumbai division. This highlights the need for goods and parcel traffic within accessible limits of the city.
