The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata-Nepal container rail movement resumes

Two of the three dedicated rakes that operate on the route were in operation as the third one had been sent to the Amingaon circuit following the suspension of operation on the Birganj circuit. 400 loaded boxes waiting to be cleared

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Kolkata Feb. 13 The rail movement of containers between Kolkata port and Birganj inland container depot (ICD) in Nepal has resumed after having remained suspended for nearly three weeks.

This follows withdrawal of the agitation, temporarily though, by the Madhesis, the people of Indian origin. The Madhesis, accounting for nearly one-third of Nepal's population and having strong presence in agriculture and trade, were demanding equal rights and adequate and proper representations in the country's administration, judiciary, police, army and other fields.

A spokesman for the Container Corporation of India (Concor), that runs the container rakes between Kolkata port and the Birganj ICD, told Business Line that right now three rakes loaded with imports routed through Kolkata port for Nepal were on way to Birganj. The rake which was stranded at Asansol had been cleared by the authorities concerned after checking. Still there were another 400 loaded containers awaiting evacuation out of Kolkata port. He hoped that the backlog would be cleared soon.

Right now two of the three dedicated rakes that operate on the route were in operation as the third one had been sent to the Amingaon circuit following the suspension of operation on the Birganj circuit. The third dedicated rake, it was hoped, would come back from Amingaon soon and join the Birganj circuit. But till such time the third dedicated rake arrived, normal services would be maintained as an ordinary rake had already been placed on the route to clear the backlog, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, Concor's Balasore ICD in Orissa, earlier virtually written off due to want of traffic, has started posting improved performance. In January, the throughput was more than 450 TEUs, highest ever, and cumulatively till January (i.e.April 2006 to January 2007), more than 2000 TEUs compared to a little more than 1000 TEUs in the same period of the previous year. The Balasore ICD, which started operating on a regular basis from 2005-06, handles only domestic traffic.

However, what causes concern is virtually total dependence on one customer, the Jindals, for the traffic. The Jindals bring ferro chrome from Kalinganagar area covering a distance of more than 100 km by road and load the mineral into containers without unloading the boxes from the rake placed in the ICD. The loaded containers then are despatched to the company's plant in Hissar in Haryana.

Till the Jindals came, there were a few other users of the ICD. But not any more. These users, mostly steel companies, also located in Kalinganagar area, now prefer BCN wagons to containers for despatching their products. The spokesman conceded that there was a need for stepping up the marketing drive to attract new customers to Balasore ICD.