Rail containerisation at Indian ports and freight terminals is expected to raise rail container loading from 80 million metric tonnes (MT) recorded last year to thrice the figure by fiscal 2030-31, according to Manoj Gangeya, executive director (planning) in the ministry of railways.
The ministry is also checking the feasibility of railway siding at land ports to promote multi-modal connectivity, Gangeya told a recent meeting on measures taken and action plan for improving India’s logistics performance index (LPI) ranking.
The meeting was organised by the department for promotion of industry and internal trade under the ministry of commerce and industry.
The dedicated cell meets every fortnight to assess the measures taken and outcomes achieved in improving performance across six parameters of LPI: customs, infrastructure, ease of arranging shipments, quality of logistics services, tracking and tracing, and timeliness.
Other initiatives that the ministry of railways is planning across the six parameters include cent per cent electrification of railway tracks and increasing capital expenditure to ₹2.6 lakh crore in fiscal 2023-24 to improve the speed and volume of freight transport.
Implementation of the Eastern and Western dedicated freight corridors is likely to increase the average speed of freight trains, thereby by reducing transit time and inventory cost to customers, an official release said.
An air cargo village is being planned at the Jewar airport in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida with an investment of ₹1,200 crore, said Ajay Kumar, chief executive officer of AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Ltd (AAICLAS). It is likely to be commissioned by December next year.
R Ananth, director of Central Board of Excise and Customs said a Custom Revenue Control Laboratories (CRCL) will be launched in Guwahati by December 23 to assist in field formations in chemical analysis of samples of various trade commodities.
