The Hindu Business Line : Rites asked to study rly links within Haldia, Kolkata docks

In its bid to improve the productivity of its own railway systems within both the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) and the Haldia dock, the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has asked Rites Ltd to undertake a thorough study of the systems and suggest necessary measures.

The study, according to Dr A.K. Chanda, Chairman of KoPT, will include rationalisation of rail yards, technological upgradation and modernisation of the present facilities in both the dock systems.

Rail-borne traffic

The throughput of the rail-borne traffic at KDS is at present two million tonnes. But the KDS, according to the KoPT Chairman, has the potential to handle much large volumes of rail-borne traffic. What was needed was augmentation and modernisation of the facilities. Rites, he pointed out, was already engaged in renovation of railway track within the KDS at an estimated cost of about Rs 8.5 crore.

Right now the volume of rail-borne traffic at Haldia is about 15/16 million tonnes (mt) annually, likely to rise substantially in the coming years as the dock is projected to handle an additional 25-30 mt in the next five years and the bulk of the projected increase would be rail-borne traffic.

rail connectivity

However, what causes concern is the delay in work on augmentation of the rail connectivity to the Haldia dock. The work presupposes doubling of the railway track on the 58-km stretch between Panskura, which is on the main line Howrah-Kharagpur section of the South Eastern Railway, and Haldia.

RVNL

However, the doubling work has so far been completed by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) only on the 14-km long stretch between Panskura and Rajgoda.

The work on the balance 44-km stretch between Rajgoda and Haldia is yet to be taken up because the Rail Board is still to sanction it. The Railways, it is learnt, is not convinced of the traffic potential on the route.

“We’ve discussed the matter with RVNL”, said Dr Chanda.

“But then the Rail Board has to sanction it first and we’re taking it up with the Board”.