New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) 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

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