February 9, 2010
In a significant step that will help speed freight movements in the country, Indian Railways announced plans to operate container trains with fixed schedules and assured transit times.
“A premium service for container movements with assured transit time is being considered for time-sensitive cargo,” said Indian Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The minister said several measures are being taken to improve the country’s slow and erratic intermodal services, which result in missed port connections and additional costs for the trade.
The new measures include allowing private rail operators to access rail sidings owned by companies and opening new privately funded freight terminals and logistics parks.
The planned scheduled service is expected to make box-rail operators more competitive with road transporters that carry a substantial volume of hinterland traffic.
Container Corp. of India, an offshoot of Indian Railways, is the largest intermodal logistics provider in the country, with a network of nearly 60 inland depots. It enjoyed a total monopoly in the market until the central government issued licenses to 14 private operators in 2006, including several global shipping companies.
Banerjee said the ministry also plans to develop an industrial corridor along the eastern rail freight corridor between Delhi and Kolkata, similar to the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor project that is being built with Japanese financial assistance.
Railways carried 833 million tons of freight traffic in fiscal 2008-09, an increase of 5 percent over the previous year. It has set a target of 882 million tons for 2009-10 ending March 31.
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