APL Logistics starts Indian automotive rail service

The service, offered by APL Logistics VASCOR subsidiary, links Chennai with Delhi.    APL Logistics said Friday it has started full operations of AutoLinx, a rail-based automotive logistics solution in India.
   The service is offered through the company’s Delhi-based joint venture APL Logistics VASCOR Automotive, and it currently runs once every two weeks between Chennai (a hub of automotive manufacturing in India) and New Delhi. Service frequency will be increased and more destinations will be added to the network in the coming months, APL Logistics said.
   Trial runs, which were completed in October, were conducted in close collaboration with four automotive original equipment manufacturers: Ford, Honda, Hyundai and Renault-Nissan. The trials, which began in September, focused on the service corridor between Chennai and Delhi and involved the handling, movement and delivery of more than 1,100 finished vehicles.
   APL Logistics VASCOR Automotive is the first third-party logistics provider to offer rail-based services under the Automobile Freight Train Operator (AFTO) license administered by Indian Railways. With the AFTO license, logistics service providers can help to facilitate bulk movement of automotive traffic by rail from the production hubs to consumer centers, as well as ports for export.
   “Transition towards multimodal logistics solutions is key to driving and sustaining the high-growth automobile industry in India,” said Amlan Bose, vice president of APA Logistics at Ford India.
   The first train to depart Melpakkam (near Chennai) carried roughly 280 finished vehicles, and it is expected to arrive at the multimodal logistics park of Container Corp. of India (the country’s state-run intermodal service provder) at Khatuwas near Delhi next week.
   “The launch of AutoLinxSM is a significant milestone for India’s automotive sector and APL Logistics VASCOR Automotive,” said Bill Garrett, chief executive officer of the joint venture as well as president and chief executive officer of VASCOR. “This unique door-to-door service covers the entire supply chain for our customers — from assembly line to distribution center to dealership floor.”