The Hindu Business Line : Himalayan Terminals to lift curbs on box trains to Nepal

Roadblocks to trade Political agitation had hit transportation of goods to Nepal Over 500 containers with imports detained at Concor terminal in KDS Large number of trucks detained at various points on India-Nepal border

Kolkata , April 25

With the seven-party Opposition alliance in Nepal deciding to call off its agitation, Himalayan Terminals Pvt Ltd, the joint venture company that runs the Birganj-based inland container depot (ICD) in Nepal, has decided to lift the restriction on movement of container trains between the Kolkata port (including Haldia) and the ICD.

The Container Corporation of India (Concor) holds the majority stake, 60 per cent, in Himalayan Terminals.

Himalayan Terminals has communicated its decision to East Central Railway, which in turn has urged the Eastern Railway to resume loading of containers at Concor's terminal in Kolkata Dock System (KDS), it is learnt.

Transportation hit

More than 500 Nepal-bound containers loaded with imports from third countries have been detained at Concor's terminal in KDS.

The agitation had thrown transportation of goods between India and Nepal, by both rail and road, out of gear with a large number of trucks carrying goods for Nepal detained at various points on the India-Nepal border. Similarly, at the request of Himalayan Terminals, Concor too had restricted movement of container trains to the Birganj ICD. The two warehouses in the ICD, totalling 107,500 sq metres, were choc-a-bloc with goods imported through the Kolkata port.

The loaded containers that had already arrived at the ICD could not be transported to the consignees' doorsteps because of the agitation. Precisely for the same reason, even the cargo destuffed within the ICD could not be taken out. According to an estimate, destuffed cargo equivalent of 122 containers and another 144 containers stuffed with cargo are lying uncleared in the warehouses, in addition to 7,000 tonnes of the imported bulk cargo, mostly rapeseed and dry peas.

Clear accumulated cargo

Now that the agitation has been called off, sources at Himalayan Terminals hope, it should be possible to clear the accumulated cargo soon. There are 40 trailers which will be deployed to reach the loaded boxes at the consignees' doorsteps while, for taking the delivery of the destuffed cargo, the consignees have started placing their trucks at ICD.

The Birganj-bound container trains, detained during the agitation at Raxaul, the last Indian railway station on the border with Nepal in north Bihar, and at various points en route, were taken into the ICD with escorts provided by the Royal Nepalese Army. Similarly, the same trains, after unloading the containers, were taken out of the ICD and allowed to cross over into the Indian territory.

Concor, inquiries reveal, is busy organising rakes at KDS to resume transportation of containers to Birganj. Three of Concor's own rakes, dedicated to the circuit, have been diverted to other routes in view of the stalemate in Nepal. However, every effort is being made to run as many container trains as possible during the rest of the month.

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