R. C. Acharya

With the proposed dedicated rail freight corridor on the Delhi-Ajmer-Ahmedabad route, Gujarat's minor ports such as Mundra, Kandla, Pipavav, Bedi, Porbandar and Dholera could, through short-feeder sections, provide better economic viability.

THE DOUBLE-STACK container train, which was flagged off from Jaipur to Pipavav, will give Gujarat's minor ports better economic viability.

In a path-breaking initiative Pipavav Rail Corporation Ltd (PRCL) was the first to start a double-stack container train, which was flagged off from Jaipur on March 23. Though conceived a few years ago, the concept of allowing private players into containerised rail transport finally took off only this year.

Till now tariff involved a wagon or the flat, which carries the container, whether single or double-stacked. However, the new formula corrects this anomaly, ensuring a lower charge for double-stack haulage. PRCL is likely to pay only Rs 12,000 per container against the earlier single stack charge of Rs 16,000 for the run between Jaipur and Pipavav, a 25 per cent drop in transport costs, which may further rise to 35 per cent in future, enabling Railways to give the road sector a run for its money.

Gujarat to gain

The sleepy port of Bhavnagar on the southern coast of Saurashtra was nowhere in the reckoning for gauge conversion till Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd, part of the Sea King group, came into being. Aggressively pushing for a piece of the export-import pie, converting the metre gauge 275-km railway line connecting Pipavav near Bhavnagar with Surendarnagar of Western Railway in the Saurashtra region soon became a priority and led to a joint venture with the Railways. The new entity — PRCL — enjoys the status of a Railway administration under the Railways Act of 1989. Gujarat Pipavav Port and the Railways have invested Rs 100 crore each in PRCL and debt was also mobilised.

With the proposed dedicated rail freight corridor on the Delhi-Ajmer-Ahmedabad route, Gujarat's ports such as Mundra, Kandla, Pipavav, Bedi, Porbandar and Dholera could, through short-feeder sections, provide better economic viability. The chances of equity participation by some of these private port operators appear to be good.

More players in the wings

The Railways' coffers are richer by Rs 540 crore with 14 players having already paid the registration fees for running container trains and the trickle of PRCL should soon become a flood. Procuring rolling stock will take some time for them though. But given the capability of the wagon manufacturing industry, which is already gearing up to make the most of the opportunity it should not be a big constraint.

Shortcomings

In spite of the widely-spaced tracks, 240 mm (about 10") more than the standard gauge of the US and European railways, the loading gauge or the height and consequently volumetric capacity of goods which can be carried by its wagon stock, is pathetically low.

Unlike a road vehicle which can load up to a height of 4,760 mm the height of load on a rail wagon has been pegged down by almost a metre less - at 3,885 mm, on most of the trunk routes, thanks to electrification. The catenary or the overhead wire used to deliver electricity to a locomotive has stunted the Indian Railways capability to make the most of its wide gauge. It could easily carry consignments as high as 7 m, which the railroads in US with their smaller cousin the standards gauge track routinely do.

As a result, advantages of moving containers double-stacked, and even complete road trailers with containers on a wagon, (piggy-back service), which gives the rail transport an edge over the road sector in terms of cost, has been lost to the Railways' trunk routes.

On the other hand, with no such constraint, the newly-built 720-km long Konkan Railway has emerged as perhaps the only section to offer a most sought after service of RO-RO (Roll On Roll Of ) to road vehicles between Mumbai and Goa.

Advantage Concor

Set up in 1988, Concor has a head start. With its network of more than 40 terminals, and with a 5,300-wagon fleet of which it owns almost 60 per cent, they are in a commanding position to carry large numbers of containers at a moment's notice.

It is also way ahead with online tracking of the containers using various online applications. Private players face a daunting task ahead in matching the services of Concor.

Ultimately, the competition will benefit industry, as it will result in lower transport costs.

(The author is a former Member — Mechanical — of the Railway Board. He can be contacted at acharya@bol.net.in.)

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