The Hindu Business Line : Increased rail connectivity within Vizag port planned

Port plans
Full electrification of all lines, one central panel in place of existing four cabins, construction of additional lines are planned.
Also planned are extension of lines to full length, adjustments in grids to improve flexibility, providing modern signals and telecommunication facilities and conversion of the iron ore manual unloading sidings to a mini-interchange yard.

Kolkata June 4 Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) proposes to augment rail facilities within the port area at an estimated cost of Rs 35 crore to cope with the projected rise in rail-borne traffic to and from the port, from 30 million tonnes (mt) in 2006-07 to more than 51 mt in 2013-14.

The container traffic by 2013-14 is estimated to rise to 500,000 TEUs, 35 per cent of which is to be rail-borne.

In other words, the port's container terminal will be required to handle three rakes each way every day.

VPT, which currently handles about 30 rakes a day, will be required to handle more than 50 by 2013-14.

In 2006-07, it handled a total volume of 56.39 mt (including 55,787 TEUs), which is targeted to rise to 85.7 mt by 2013-14.

Mr K. Ratna Kishore, Chairman of VPT, told Business Line on Monday that the problems facing Railway operations relate to capacity constraints, with the result that there would be detention at the Waltair marshalling yard.

Also, full wiring is available to nine lines; there are four cabins with inter-slotting.

There is one line for engine escape and one for loading, leaving only 17 for train operations.

Shunting operations are also in the yard.

The port plans to take several steps, such as full electrification of all lines, one central panel in place of existing four cabins, construction of additional lines, extension of lines to full length, adjustments in grids to improve flexibility, providing modern signals and telecommunication facilities and conversion of the iron ore manual unloading sidings to a mini-interchange yard.

The construction of an overbridge alone would cost Rs 17.5 crore; connectivity to Jaggyyapalem would cost Rs 12.5 crore and connectivity to Vadlapudi, Rs 2.37 crore.

There is also a proposal to provide additional connectivity between the R&D yard and the western sector through a direct line.

The projects already under implementation include revamping of the east yard and extension of lines to full length for mechanised loading of coking coal and limestone, providing engine reversal facility in coal berth, development of 14 new sidings and acquisition of high power locomotives.

Mr Ratna Kishore said that no effort to step up Railway facilities could hope to succeed unless the zonal Railway divisions simultaneously improve their networks.

Accordingly, both East Coast Railway and South Central Railway have been requested to enhance their connectivity to and from the port, he added.