The Hindu Business Line : Ro-ro may become Konkan Rly monopoly

KONKAN Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) may get the monopoly rights to operate a ro-ro service along the Indian Railway network. This will be similar to the rights being enjoyed by Container Corporation of India (Concor) in the transportation of containers on the rail network.

According to senior officials of Konkan Railway, the Ministry of Railways is considering a proposal by KRCL to start a roll-on and roll-off service on several routes.

Konkan Railway has been operating ro-ro service between Mumbai (Kolad) and Goa (Verna) on the Konkan route for the past five years.

Ro-ro service provides the facility to carry loaded trucks on wagons (called flats in railway parlance) from one point to their destinations. The service enables door-to-door delivery of goods through the multimodal, fuel-efficient and eco-friendly mode of transporting goods.

The Kolad-Verna route currently being operated by KRCL saves 430 km stretch of travel by road, said a KRCL official.

The Corporation has recently extended ro-ro service on the Konkan route up to Mangalore on a minimum committed traffic basis. KRCL now wants to expand the service to other routes. It has sought the Railways' permission to start ro-ro services along routes on which Indian Railways is operating passenger and goods services. Several routes on the Railway network have the potential to start ro-ro service, said a KRCL official.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Mumbai-Kochi are said to be among the potential routes. But there is a problem: as these are already congested routes, offering a dedicated regular service may be difficult, the official said.

KRCL is awaiting the Railways' nod to start investing in dedicated wagons for ro-ro service.

The conventional wagons currently being operated are not economical as they can carry only one truck. Specially designed wagons will be able to carry two trucks. This will also increase the earnings per rake as one rake can carry more than 50 trucks.