Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Friday, Mar 24, 2006
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Friday, Mar 24, 2006 |
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Railways Logistics - Supply Chain Management Lalu flags off double stack container train Mamuni Das
Increasing load The double-stack container (DSC) train can carry 180 TEU containers against 90 TEU containers in a single stack train. It reduces the requirement of train by 48 per cent for the same throughput.
Jaipur , March 23 The Railway Minister, Mr Lalu Prasad, today flagged off the country's first double stack container train on the Jaipur-Pipavav port route. Users of container trains on the route may have to pay lower charges, with the Railways reducing the haulage rates (for Concor) by 25 per cent on this route. The double stack container (DSC) train can carry 180 TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) containers against 90 TEU containers in a single stack train. The Railways imposes haulage charges on Container Corporation of India (Concor) for the infrastructure it provides, including track and signalling system. Concor adds container handling charges and its margins over and above the haulage charge to arrive at the final tariff for its customers.
Higher payload
DSC can carry a payload of 2,500 tonnes against 1,500 tonnes in a single stack train. It reduces the requirement of train by 48 per cent for the same throughput, said Railway officials. With the introduction of double stack container, Railway's share in container traffic is expected to increase enabling Railways to be more competitive vis-a-vis road sector, said Mr Prasad after flagging off the double stack train from Kanakpura Inland Container Depot, in Jaipur.
Savings
With the commencement of double stack operations, savings of the order of 32 per cent are expected - about seven per cent on capital cost and 25 per cent in operating expense. The 950-km long Pipavav-Jaipur route includes 271 km of Pipavav Rail Corporation Ltd (PRCL), which is is a 50:50 joint venture between the Railways and Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd that was set up to construct, maintain and operate the 271-km-long broad gauge railway line connecting the Pipavav port in Gujarat to Surendranagar Junction on the Western Railway. Single stack containers can be run at a speed of up to 100 kmph, though in actual practice, lower speeds are used. However, weight load limits for wagons carrying double stack containers are same as that for single stack containers. With Railways opening up the containerised services sector, this sector becomes attractive for private operators.
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