The Hindu Business Line : RDSO nod likely for double stack containers

LUCKNOW-based Research Design and Standardisation Organisation (RDSO), the research arm of Indian Railways, is likely to approve usage of the existing rolling stock for running double stack containers on Indian Railways' tracks soon.

RDSO recently conducted a test for the project on the Pipavav Rail Corporation Ltd's (PRCL) rail track section.

The Railways had asked PRCL to conduct a study to identify the physical infringements in running double stack containers for specified routes.

"The approval is likely to be given for running the wagons with double stack containers at a speed of up to 75 kilo metre per hour (kmph)," said a senior official.

Single stack containers can be run at a speed of up to 100 kmph on rail tracks though in actual practise lower speeds are used, he added.

Currently, each flat wagon can carry either two twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers or one forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU) container.

But with certain routes in Indian Railways being worked to ensure transportation of double stack containers, each wagon would be enabled to carry four TEU capacity. In a double stack carriage, it is advisable to carry two FEU sized containers or three containers (two TEU sized and one FEU sized), explained the official.

For the double stack containers, the total weight that can be carried per wagon, including the weight of containers, remains at the same level as specified for single stack containers — 61 tonne per wagon.

However, the same level of load is unlikely to pose a problem as very few containers actually carry the 27 tonne payload allowed for single stack container.

The average load of containers used for EXIM traffic is currently at 12-13 tonnes per TEU.

The rail route between Jaipur and Pipavav port is likely to be ready to allow transportation of double stack containers in the first quarter of the 2006-07 fiscal.

The track along Rewari, Ringus, Phulera is also expected to be ready to allow transportation of double stack containers by 2007 March.

In the backdrop of the Railways opening up the containerised services sector, making routes ready for running double stack containers makes the sector attractive as it allows a single rake to carry double the number of TEUs.