APM Terminals (APMT) Pipavav has become the first Indian port to connect to the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) following the completion of an electrified rail yard.
Once fully operational in June 2022, the line will help to decongest the saturated road and rail network. The connection to the Western DFC is expected to reduce transit times to the north-west hinterland by around 50%.
APMT Pipavav has the capacity to handle 1.35 million TEU.
A 269km broad gauge railway line connects the APMT Pipavav directly to the Western DFC at Mehsana and Ahmedabad.
Western DFC is an electrified, double-track rail corridor covering a distance of 1504km from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) Navi Mumbai to Dadri Inland Container Depot (ICD) near Delhi. The first section between Palanpur and Rewari is already operational.
Innovative technology with improved safety features will enable scheduled & timetabled trains to run at higher speeds and provide increased reliability and faster connections for customers.
Transit time for customers’ freight between APMT Pipavav, Delhi and the wider National Capital Region is set to reduce from an average of 60 hours at present to 24 hours.
Development of multimodal logistic parks along the DFC will also provide complete transport solution to customers.
The new service supports APMT Pipavav’s new Rail-Out by Bill of Lading product.
This allows consignees to rail out their containers on same train/same day from APMT Pipavav port so that all containers under one Bill of Lading can be cleared together at destination.
Electrification of much of the DFC will enable APMT Pipavav to support environmentally friendly, long-haul transportation and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
The DFC is estimated to save 457 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over a 30-year period. Up to 40% lower operating costs should also make way for competitive pricing.
In another rail first this month, APMT Pipavav welcomed the first direct container train to the Jodhpur ICD using the electrified DFC.
This was the first independent container train operated by PRCL in India.
Jakob Friis Sørensen, MD, APMT Pipavav, commented, “Jodhpur is known for the best of woodcraft, handicrafts & artistic furniture, and guar gum for export. It imports the solar panels and white cement clinker. The direct service opens the doors for exporting/importing this product to/from the global market via port Pipavav.
“Flagging off PRCL’s train from our port via electrified route is a significant step towards offering safe, reliable, cost-effective and environment-friendly export and import cargo movements and a seamless connection to our customers from Jodhpur to the rest of the world.”
Key stations on the Western DFC include Dadri ICD (near Delhi), Narnaul, Sri Madhopur and Reengus (Sikar), Phulera and Marwar Junction (Rajasthan), Palanpur, Amli Road (Sabarmati), Makarpura (Vadodara), Gothangam/Kosad (Gujarat) and Vasai Road (Maharashtra) before it terminates at JNPT (Nhava Sheva Port) in Navi Mumbai.
