India container terminals to partner on intermodal train service

Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals (BMCT) and Container Corporation of India (Concor) have signed a memorandum of understanding for dedicated container trains in an effort to consolidate multimodal transport.    Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals (BMCT) and Container Corporation of India (Concor) inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to launch dedicated shuttle trains running between BMCT and Concor’s Rail Transhipment Hubs (RTH) at Kathuwas and Jakhwada to consolidate containers railed in North and West India, the terminal operators said in a joint statement.
   BMCT will designate the Kathuwas and Jakhwada rail hubs as its inland extended gateways for North and West India while Concor will ensure competitive rail freight costs and transit times between BMCT and the RTHs.
   “The aggregation of all North and West India-destined boxes onto a single train at BMCT in the gateway port of JNPT will enhance train utilization,” said BMCT. “At the same time, Concor will also be given priority handling of its trains at BMCT. The speedy transhipment at Concor’s RTHs will ensure boxes reach their destination on time. The end result is that shipping lines using BMCT’s rail terminal can enjoy a higher service level overall at a much more competitive cost.” 
   According to the terminals, BMCT’s rail facilities will be the largest in India and the only on-dock Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) compliant facilities capable of handling 1.5km long, 360-TEU container trains at Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT).
   “The percentage of rail cargoes handled at JNPT, despite the benefits of rail versus road, has continued to decline to a figure of 12 percent recently,” said Kalyana Rama, chairman and managing director of Concor. “Concor has made significant investments in Multimodal Logistics Hubs and Rail Transhipment Hubs in several locations to extend its market reach and service offering to the trade, complementing BMCT’s investment in its rail facilities. By working together to provide superior service levels and offerings via our RTHs, we have no doubt that rail percentage in JNPT will see a major upswing with the commissioning of BMCT and we aim to see 35 percent of volumes at BMCT handled by rail once the DFC is completed.”
   Concor and BMCT will also designate Dronagari Rail Terminal (DRT) as a Direct Port Delivery point for import boxes, removing traffic from the roads and providing a more effective evacuation option. Additionally, BMCT will work in partnership with Concor to offer domestic repositioning of empty containers to shipping lines – a service not currently available at terminals in JNPT due to the lack of capacity, the terminals said.
   “Concor and BMCT are partnering alongside each other to open a new chapter in the handling of rail containers at JNPT,” said BMCT CEO Suresh Amirapu. “This partnership between India’s largest and most advanced rail container terminal facility at BMCT and with Concor, India’s largest container train operator, will bring a significant enhancement in service levels to the trade. We also eagerly await completion of the DFC to unleash the full benefits of our facility.”