Date:11/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/11/stories/2006081108740500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Special express cargo service flagged off

Staff Reporter

This is the second such service introduced by South Western Railway

GREEN SIGNAL: General Manager of South Western Railway T.N. Perti flagging off the special capital express cargo service from Bangalore to Bhopal at the Bangalore City Railway Station on Thursday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: T.N. Perti, general manager, South Western Railway, on Thursday flagged off the special capital express cargo service (tri-weekly) from Bangalore to Bhopal.

This is the second such service introduced by South Western Railway in recent times. The Bangalore-Kisanganj express cargo was the first.

Speaking to presspersons Mr. Perti said the train will reach Bhopal in 30 hours when compared to trucks that take five days.

The services had been outsourced to Harsh Press Service, a private transport company for three years, he said.

Mr. Perti said another express cargo service from Bangalore to Guwahati would be introduced shortly.

He said the express cargo service was being organised under public-private partnership where the Railways would stand to gain. The service would be extended to all State capitals.

P.N. Shukla, chief operational manager, SWR, said the zone had won several awards for better performance. SWR was ahead of other zones both in operational and administrative spheres. The Railways expected a turnover of Rs. 100 crore from the express cargo during the current fiscal, he added.

So far, SWR was only into freight traffic and express cargo was a new venture, he noted. Express cargo services to New Delhi and Howrah were on the anvil. The franchisees would be offered wagons for three years during the lease period and companies like Indo-Arya, Harsh and Gathik transporters had tied up with the Railways, he said.

Managing director of Harsh Press Service Ravi Bhandari said there was a possibility of attaching a wagon with a capacity of 25 tonnes to any express passenger train and the number could be increased to three wagons according to the demand. He said the express cargo was time bound, and the departure and arrival were on time. It was a cheap, fast and affordable means of transport, he said. Divisional railway manager Mahesh Kumar and additional divisional regional manager Gowri Saxena were present.