The Hindu Business Line : CCI plans Tughlakabad, Vizag port service

THE Container Corporation of India (Concor) is to launch shortly a regular service between its Tughlakabad inland container depot (ICD) located near Delhi and Visakhapatnam port's container terminal, known as Visakha container terminal (VCT). It will be a fixed schedule, according to informed sources.

Concor had earlier announced rates for movement of containers between various ICDs and the VCT.

Mr V. Kalyana Rama, Senior General Manager of Concor, when asked about the proposed service, however, declined to comment, except saying, "We have set a higher throughput target for export-import traffic for the current year (2004-05)".

The target has been set at 1,000 TEUs against a little more than 400 TEUs achieved in 2003-04. The throughput in 2003-04 comprised mostly repositioned empties, as the number of the loaded containers, all imports, was 197 TEUs, of which, 89 TEUs were routed through VCT and the balance through Jawaharlal Nehru Port for destuffing at Line 15, the location of a railway goods shed used by Concor.

During the period, the throughput of originating domestic traffic was 3,781 TEUs targeted to exceed 4,000 TEUs in the current fiscal. The domestic traffic, particularly iron and steel, thanks to its long lead, has proved to be a paying proposition for Concor.

In past few months, Vizag Steel Plant showed preference for containerised rail movement to other modes for dispatching products to far off places such as Ahmedabad and north India.

Mr Kalyana Rama gave several reasons why he was so bullish about this year's traffic. First, the calling of the mainline vessels at VCT. Not only the hinterland traffic but also the transhipment traffic, he felt, would receive a big boost as a result.

Second, the commissioning of Concor's local container freight station (CFS), which is due shortly. "We are trying to commission the CFS as early as possible, at least on an experimental basis," he said, pointing out that once the CFS became operational it should be possible to offer value-added services. "There will be facilities for storage, stuffing/destuffing and bonding of exim boxes," he said.

The bonded warehousing facility, however, would take a little longer time to be ready. Spread over 32,000 sq. metres of space including 2,000 sq. metres for bonded warehousing, the CFS is estimated to cost Rs 10 crore.

The unique feature of the Concor's CFS here, as he explained, would be the proximity to VCT and the good rail and road connectivity. "The CFS will be located very close to Visakhapatnam port's container terminal which is already well connected by a railway network right up to the quay-line and it will be served by both Indian Railways and the port railways," he said.

The road connectivity too would be good as the feeder road, on which the CFS was being constructed, was connected to National Highway, he added.

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