Cochin Port Trust and CONCOR (Container Corporation of India) has inked an agreement for running a regular container service from Irugur ICD (Inland Container Depot) to ICTT, Vallarpadam, Kochi Port.

The inaugural trip was flagged off from Irugur ICD this afternoon.

G Senthilvel, Deputy Chairman, Cochin Port Trust, who was in the city to flag off the maiden regular container service told Business Line that the train would start from Irugur every Saturday and the return from Kochi – every Thursday.

“Only 22 TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units) were flagged off today. Being Pongal holiday in this part of the country, the volumes were not much, but we wanted to make a beginning,” the Deputy Chairman of Cochin Port Trust said and explained that the Saturday trains are scheduled to connect the direct shipping services to Far East, China, Europe and Middle East.

Ships bound for these destinations leave Kochi Port on Monday and Tuesday. The import containers from these mainline ships can be moved to Coimbatore by the return service scheduled every Thursday. By availing this service, delay in Colombo transhipment can be avoided, he said.

Answering a query about the earlier attempt at introducing such a service, he said “we did not commit on a regular service then. Further, though Container Corporation offered to run, users were apprehensive about using the facility. Now, we have inked MoU for a regular service.”

He indicated that a container service from Pollachi is also on the cards. “A meeting is scheduled next week with the exporting community in Pollachi. These exporters have indicated that they would prefer a service from Pollachi to avoid delay as also make it more cost effective, than using the Irugur terminal”.

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