Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd (GPPL) has teamed-up with Pipavav Rail Corporation Ltd (PRCL) to offer double stack container train service to Jodhpur via Sanand on a hub and spoke model.

GPPL is 43.01 per cent owned by A P M Terminals Management B V, the container port operating unit of Danish transport and logistics giant A P Moller-Maersk Group A/S.

The double stack container train service is managed by Pipavav Rail Corporation Ltd, an equal joint venture of Indian Railways and Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd set up to construct, maintain and operate the 271-km long broad-gauge railway line connecting Pipavav Port to Surendranagar Junction of Western Railway in Gujarat.

In 2006, PRCL bought a license from the Ministry of Railways to run container trains on the Indian Railways network, but never started operations.

It recently became an active rail operator by running the first train from Port Pipavav to Jodhpur on the electrified route.

Since it will be on hub and spoke model, the double stack container train service will provide access to other inland container depots (ICDs) in the country, Mumbai-listed GPPL said in a statement.

The hub and spoke arrangement via Sanand will ensure timely evacuation of cargo from the port, thereby enabling swift movement of cargo for the customers. The initiative will help the trade to connect with their markets quickly and competitively.

“Customer centricity is at the core of all our initiatives. The rail connection to Jodhpur via Sanand on a hub and spoke model will give an edge to our customers in connecting to their markets/ICDs quickly,” Jakob Friis Sorenson, managing director, GPPL said.

Related Topics