WCIL starts bulk tiles train service from Morbi cargo terminal
The 42-acre facility in Devaliya is now fully operational, supporting rail and road cargo movement for key industrial sectors across Gujarat.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has flagged off a bulk tiles train at Western Carriers (India) Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal at Devaliya in Morbi, Gujarat, marking the start of full commercial operations at the facility.
The 42-acre Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal is designed as a multimodal logistics platform for cargo movement by road and rail through Container Rake and Wagon Rake systems. The terminal will serve key industrial clusters in Gujarat, including the salt industry in the Maliya belt and the ceramics industry in Morbi.
The facility will also support logistics requirements of the chemicals, agriculture, fertiliser and MSME sectors in the region. Morbi's ceramics industry produces around 5 million tonnes of ceramic products annually and caters to more than 80% of India's domestic demand, according to WCIL.
The flag-off comes days after WCIL inaugurated its General Cargo Terminal at the GCD Yard of the Kolkata Dock System under the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority. The Kolkata facility is the company's first operational base on India's east coast and was developed and operated by WCIL under a 15-year agreement with SMPA.
The Kolkata terminal is designed to handle dry bulk, break-bulk and all container categories, with Phase I fully operational from launch. Together, the Kolkata and Morbi terminals strengthen WCIL's rail-linked presence across the East-West freight corridor.
The Morbi terminal is aligned with the Government of India's PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which aims to strengthen multimodal connectivity and reduce logistics costs across the country.
Rajendra Sethia, Chairman and Managing Director, Western Carriers (India) Limited, said the flag-off marks a significant milestone in the company's efforts to strengthen India's logistics infrastructure across the East-West corridor.
Sethia said the Morbi facility will serve the salt and ceramics industries along with chemicals, agriculture, fertiliser and MSME sectors in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat.
With the terminal now fully operational, WCIL plans to expand its capabilities by developing an inland container depot and warehousing infrastructure. The company said this will further strengthen the facility's role as a logistics hub connecting Gujarat's industrial areas with markets across India.
