In a first, freight cross-country trains started plying from Mumbai and Bangladesh from Sunday with a target of exports across the border. An official said that Kalamboli station of the Mumbai division transported for the first time about 23 wagons carrying 87 Mahindra Bolero pick-up vans to Benapole in Bangladesh fetching revenue of R21.29 lakh. Central Railway (CR) has set up a siding at Kalamboli exclusively to transport automobiles. These Mahindra Bolero pick-up vans were loaded by National Carrier Corporation – a logistics partner for Railways and Mahindra & Mahindra company.

Similar facilities were also provided for automobile transportation at Chinchwad station on Pune Division, Nashik station on Bhusaval Division, Butibori and Ajni stations on Nagpur Division and Bale station on Solapur division CR has set up Business Development Units (BDU) at zonal and divisional levels recently. The BDU takes into consideration new proposals, schemes and suggestions submitted by the different freight aggregators, new customers, trade bodies and logistics companies.