Title - Railways assures exporters on availability of wagons

Railways authorities on Wednesday assured a delegation of Amritsar Exporter Chamber, Confederation of International Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Clearing House Agents that 10 cargo wagons would be regularly attached with the bi-weekly Samjhauta Express passenger train to Pakistan to clear the piled-up export consignments.

A senior railway officer from New Delhi, Shelly Srivastava stressed that the railways was very keen to facilitate exports and would make all arrangements to offer goods wagons to meet regular demands and her visit on Wednesday was aimed to bridge the communication gap with the traders. The present mechanism of priority loading of goods monitored both by the Railways and the traders chambers was working without glitches, she said and hoped that all stakeholders were given due space in the freight wagons.

Exporters Rajesh Setia and Jaspal Singh felt that the railway officials should give priority in allotment of wagons so all cargo held up here was loaded for faster movement across the international borders.

As for special movement of racks, the railway official pointed that they would take up the matter with the Railways in Delhi and also with Pakistan counterparts for regular interchange to facilitate faster movement of goods.

Discussing the issue of lack of security at the railway cargo terminus here, she said that it was important to have permanent fencing and other security apparatus in place to ward off any attempt by antinational elements to bring in contraband etc.

Srivastava assured that it was an international rail head and proper funds would be made available for the same, adding that she would take up the matter at the highest level.