Krishnapatnam Port Container Terminal (KPCT) and Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) announced the launch of a joint initiative of Bangalore-KPCT train service which will carry containers to and from the inland container depot (ICD) in Whitefield. The train service, which is available for the first time for the business houses in and around Bangalore, will ply between Whitefield Depot (WFD) in Bangalore and the port directly. The service will immensely benefit the heavy cargoes like granite, gherkins, coffee, and machinery which face regulatory issues due to the weight restrictions on Road transport.
The new weekly train service will start running from June 19 from White Field Depot on every Friday evenings. This will enable the traders to complete their custom related documentation at Whitefield Depot during 5 days of the week and use the weekend to get the goods transported from Bangalore and load it onto the ships. The Train will return on Sundays from the port carrying the goods imported by the traders and deliver the containers on Monday in Bangalore.
The train service will have a maximum carrying capacity of 90 TEUs each way. The service will reduce the transportation time from 24-48 hours taken by road to just 18 hours through this Train service. In addition to this, it will also help the customers to save between US$100 – US$150 on each container and also eliminate the chances of pilferage which has been a major issue for the businesses. Unlike the road transport which involves multiple examinations even after taking prior Customs clearance of the containers, the train can directly enter the Port without any further examination which makes it the fastest transit from Bangalore to any gateway port. The last mile train connectivity at Krishnapatnam is also congestion free and dedicated only for container trains.
“The service will certainly add value to the customers who have been looking for such service in terms of safety, lesser cost and time efficiency. We are sure that the industries in Bangalore will get a major boost through this service and supported with the efficient facilities at Krishnapatnam Port,” said S P Shastri, Chief Manager, CONCOR, and the head of the Whitefield ICD, while launching the service in Bangalore recently.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Sriram Ravi Chander, Executive Director, KPCT, said: “The express service of a green channel for ship loading and unloading at the port is also one of our unique offerings. The availability of custom officers at all the time throughout the seven days of the week additionally assists the exporters and importers to close the documentation in case they opt to do so at the port.”
The KPCT train turn-around-time is also the fastest amongst all South-Indian-Ports. With its on-dock-rail-sidings, the containers can directly enter the yard of the terminal without wasting time like other ports wherein delays in shifting container from rail siding to container yard. Currently handling 41MMT, Krishnapatnam Port has also emerged as the largest non-major port in South India and the second largest in India. The throughput of the port has also grown significantly by 60 percent in the last fiscal.