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Eyeing the growing export-import cargo traffic of Bengaluru, the Krishnapatnam Port Container Terminal (KPCT) and Container Corporation of India (Concor) have announced the launch of direct container train service from June 19 to cater to customers in the region.
The weekly train service will ply between the Concor’s Whitefield Depot in Bengaluru and Krishnapatnam Port on the Eastern Coast directly and is expected to benefit the exporters of granite, gherkins, coffee, pharmaceuticals and engineering machinery.
The train will have a maximum carrying capacity of 90 TEUs containers and will operate every Friday evening from Bengaluru.
“This will enable the traders to complete their customs related documentation at Whitefield Depot during 5 days of the week and use the weekend to get the goods transported from Bengaluru and load them onto the ships. The train will return on Sundays from the Port carrying the goods imported by the traders and deliver the containers on Monday in Bengaluru,” said Sriram Ravichander, Executive Director, KPCT.
Besides reducing the transportation time to 18 hours as against 24-48 hours taken by road, the non-stop train service will also help customers reduce costs and eliminate the chances of pilferage.
“Unlike road transport which involves multiple examinations even after taking prior Customs clearance of the containers, the train can directly enter the Port without any further examination which makes it the fastest transit from Bengaluru to any gateway Port. The last mile train connectivity at Krishnapatnam is also congestion free and dedicated only for container trains,” said Ravichander.
SP Shastri, Chief Manager, Concor, said the launch of this new train service will help the manufacturing and other allied industries in and around Bengaluru City. He said this weekly train service can be made into a daily service. The Bengaluru EXIM cargo traffic is estimated at 200,000 TEUs and Concor handles more than half of this traffic at around 115,000 TEUs.
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