The Hindu Business Line : `Form independent corporation to run freight corridor project'

THE Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has mooted a proposal for setting up of an independent corporation, on the lines of Delhi Metro Corporation, to hasten the execution of the Rs 30,000-crore dedicated freight corridor project from Delhi to Mumbai and Delhi to Kolkata.

The chamber has also suggested that the Ministry of Railways prepare a detailed roadmap for the implementation of the project, so that it is approved in the forthcoming meeting of National Development Council (NDC).

It said the Government has already included the assessment of the dedicated freight corridor project in the saturated routes as mooted by the Railway Ministry in the agenda of Tenth Plan mid-term appraisal to be discussed in the NDC meeting.

In a background paper on freight corridor along the Golden Quadrilateral Railway Project prepared by Assocham, it has been emphasised that the Railways should first work out the supporting mechanism through which financial aid will come to the project.

The Assocham President, Mr Mahendra K. Sanghi, said that besides the World Bank, the project could receive financial closure from Official Development Agency of Japan, especially as Japan is good at laying railway lines and, moreover, the Delhi Metro is being supported by the Japanese collaborations. As regards the alignment of the project, Assocham is of the opinion that the route selection should be such that it directly or indirectly connects the major bulk freight generating centres.

Coal and ore mines, power plants, steel plants, seaports and petroleum refineries will be the major traffic production and consumption centres.

The chamber feels that feeder lines connecting the freight corridor required upgradation for higher axle load.

Since all the freight traffic will not be amenable to higher axle load running, the freight corridor, therefore, should be designed for higher freight running speed with normal axle load.

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`Form independent corporation to run freight corridor project'