APM Terminals Pipapav is the first Indian Port to connect to the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) with a 269km railway, following the completion of an electrified rail yard at the end of last month.
The Western DFC is an electrified, double-track rail corridor covering a distance of 1,504 km from Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in the Indian town of Navi Mumbai to Dadri inland container depot (ICD) near Delhi. The first section between Palanpur and Rewari is already operational.
Once fully completed in early 2022, the Western DFC is expected to reduce transit times to the northwest Indian hinterland by around 50%, and therefore decongest the saturated road and rail network, “offering reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly logistics solutions to customers” explained APM Terminals in a statement.
The 269km broad gauge railway line connects the Port Pipapav directly to the Western DFC at Mehsana and Ahmedabad, with the key stations such as Dadri ICD, Narnaul, Sri Madhopur and Reengus in Sikar, Phulera and Marwar Junction in Rajasthan, Palanpur and Amli Road in Sabarmati, and Vasai Road of Maharashtra, before it terminates at JNPT.
Therefore, transit time for freights between APM Terminals Pipavav, Delhi and the National Capital Region is planned to be reduced to just 24 hours, from an average of 60 hours at present.
Furthermore, electric rail is estimated to save 457 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over a 30-year period, improve the sustainability of their logistics chain.
The DFC can support double-stacked trains up to 7.1 meters high, which now can accommodate trains of 4.265 meters, as well as 3.66 meters wide load with a train length of 1,500 meters, (currently 700 meters) and up to 13,000 tonnes, compared to the current 5,400 tonnes, increasing the rail freight capacities by ten times and offering convenience to customers.
Additionally, the DFC is also designed to have the possibility of running mixed-load trains, including road railers for roll-on roll-off cargo.
Earlier this month, APM Terminals Pipavav welcomed the first direct container train to the Jodhpur ICD using the electrified DFC, which was the first independent container train operated by Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd (PRCL) in India.
“Jodhpur is known for the best of woodcraft, handicrafts & artistic furniture, and guar gum for export, as well as solar panels and white cement clinker imports,” commented Jakob Friis Sørensen, MD, APM Terminals Pipavav. “The direct service opens the doors for exporting/importing this product to/from the global market via port Pipavav.”
