Nagpur: In a significant step to enhance revenue generation, the Central Railway’s Nagpur Division has unveiled plans to establish an Auto Hub at the Ajni Goods Shed. The initiative includes a comprehensive master plan focused on upgrading existing infrastructure and developing new amenities, with an estimated investment of ₹30 crore. Once operational, the hub will serve as a dedicated facility to support the automobile industry in the region, bolstering logistics and transportation efficiency.
Elaborating on the idea, Aman Mittal, Sr Divisional Commercial Manager, said that three companies – Maruti Suzuki, Kia and Hyundai had already evinced interest in dispatching their vehicles to Ajni. He said based on inputs from the local dealers, the division has earmarked the development of amenities that would enable proper unloading of the vehicles. Since the automobile sector in the city is quite broad, the need for a higher number of car units necessitated dispatch by railways which is quite hassle free.
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Tuesday 21 Jan. 2025
Mittal said the major advantage for division is existing two 700-metre rail lines, which means full length rakes can be loaded or unloaded here. To facilitate the unloading of cars, permanent ramps would be constructed on either ends of the two railway lines, along with development and lighting of pathways. The railway has also planned for putting in place two 10-tonne ramps that can be moved around the two lines as and when required. These big ramps are planned keeping in mind future requirements, in case heavy vehicle manufacturers also start using unloading facilities at Ajni Goods Shed.
As of now, temporary iron railing is attached to the bogey to unload the vehicles. The ramp would be quite an added advantage as cars can be unloaded with ease any time when the rake arrives. Further, cover over platform, a sort of shed would also be put in place on either lines as it would help in stacking of the vehicles brought here before their dispatch to respective dealers.
About 5,000 sq mtr of car parking shed is planned at the AjniGoods Shed, in the shape of awave, added Mittal. The Ajni Goods Shed was an erstwhile platform for operations of Container Corporation of India (CCI) before it shifted its base to MIHAN area and then to Borkhedi. The ready-made facilities were tapped by CR’s Nagpur Division earlier also, it was used for first dispatch of tractors by Mahindra & Mahindra, about a few years back.
The Nagpur Division of Central Railways is aiming to augment its freight loading capacity from 50 million tonnes to 90 million tonnes by 2030, in line with the objective of the Indian Railways’ future revenue generation and business development vision. A major infrastructural overhaul of around nine goods sheds, including an auto hub, will kickstart shortly at different locations.
The Indian Railways, which nationwide loaded around 1,600 million tonnes of freight this revenue cycle, has set a target to enhance the freight loading capacity to around 3,000 million tonnes by 2030. Railway authorities across divisions are engaged in developing infrastructure to support the additional freight management, eyeing a major revenue increase.
In CR’s Nagpur Division, with budgetary allocations of around Rs 100 crore, work is expected to begin soon at the goods sheds at Balharshah, Betul, Chandrapur, Parasiya, Tadoli, Khirsadoh, Maramjhiri, and Mukutban. At the Ajni goods shed, a 5,000 sq metre auto hub parking shed is likely to be constructed.
