The Hindu Business Line : Concor to redesign car wagons

Container Corporation of India (Concor) is reworking its auto transportation project. The company is taking a re-look at the design of wagons developed to carry cars, primarily to bring down the cost incurred on such specially designed wagons.

"Concor is considering a cheaper option for transporting automobiles, particularly in the short run. However, in the long run, it could reconsider its earlier design option, which had relatively high costs," said a Railway Ministry official.

Haulage charges

The company had submitted a proposal to the Indian Railways with a design clearance from Lucknow-based Research Designs and Standards Organisation, seeking specific haulage charges for moving these specially designed wagons earlier this year. The charges were to be different as Railways has specified haulage charges for Concor to move containers on flat wagons. For moving automobiles, however, the company would need to use wagons with a different design. Concor has other design options, which it is considering. Earlier, it had also signed an agreement with NYK for its auto-carrier project. However, it is yet to enter into a joint venture with NYK.

With India emerging as an automobile-manufacturing hub, transportation firms are eyeing this segment to provide hinterland connectivity. Pipavav Rail Corporation Ltd (PRCL), a firm that owns the Pipavav Port rail link and has acquired a container operations licence, has also proposed moving automobiles using smaller-sized triple-stack containers.

As per the PRCL proposal, in a rake carrying triple-stack containers, 450 car units can be moved, where each standardised unit is the space required by a Maruti-800. Currently, the Railways uses special coaches to move cars, with each rake accommodating only 100 units of cars.

More Stories on : Railways | Cars | Supply Chain Management

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