Shri Ajaya Kumar singh, General Manager, South Western Railway on Tuesday virtually flagged off the 50th NMG (New Modified Goods) rake dispatched from Penukonda. He flagged off the train from Hubballi through video link.
The train loaded with 100 cars (SUVs) of M/S KIA motors in 25 NMG wagons (NMG wagons are wagons modified to facilitate the easy movement of automobile goods) left Penukonda Railway Station in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh to Farukhnagar in Gurugram District of Haryana.
- Penukonda Station is in the Jurisdiction of Bengaluru Division of South Western Railway.
- Shri H.C. Verma, Principal Chief Operations Manager, Shri Anil Pavithran, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Shri Vipul Kumar, Principle Chief Engineer, Shri Ashok Kumar Verma, Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru Division were also present with the General Manager at Hubballi during flagging off.
- Shri Akhil M Shastri, Sr. Divisional Operations Manager, Bengaluru division, Shri Raushan Kumar, Divisional Commercial Manager, Bengaluru Division and Shri John Soo Kim, Logistics Head, KIA Motors and other officers from Railways were present at Penukonda during flagging off.
- During the financial year 2020-21, every month at a steady rate of 10 rakes per month, loading of cars is being done at Penukonda Railway Station, from Anantapur plant of M/s. KIA motors.
- Till date a total of 4980 cars (including 100 cars sent today) have been transported to Farukh Nagar from Penukonda. Railways have set up a siding at Penukonda exclusively for transport of these cars. Each NMG rake normally carries 100 cars.
- The cars were loaded by M/s. IVC Logistics Ltd, who are logistic partners for Railways and KIA Motors.
- Bengaluru Division which was mainly transporting raw materials and essential commodities took to loading of automobiles for the first time when it transported 175 tractors from Doddaballapur Railway Station to Phuleria in Rajasthan on 29.04.2020.
- During the current year, 47 rakes of automobiles manufactured by M/s. TAFE, mainly tractors have been loaded by Train from Doddaballapur Railway Station near Bengaluru.
- Mysuru Division of South Western Railway also has started to operate NMG trains to transport automobile goods to different regions.
- One NMG train loaded with 1000 TVS two-wheelers was dispatched from Kadakola in Mysuru Division to Changsari in Assam on 10.10.2020.
- This automobile loading in NMG rakes was nearly Nil last year.
- With extensive marketing efforts of recently constituted Business Development Units, Railways is capturing new streams of traffic and thereby contributing to the revival of economy which is adversely affected by Covid-19.
Automobile loading:
Recently, Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, Shri Piyush Goyal met who of the Automobile Industry leaders to give boost to Automobile loading through Railways.
Representatives of SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers), Tata Motors, Hyundai Motors, Ford Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Honda India, and Maruti Suzuki Ltd, The Automobile Freight Train Operators (AFTOs), Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA), who were all part of the meeting, lauded the initiative and committed to work in partnership with Indian Railways to facilitate transportation of automobiles through Railways.
- Indian Railways is attaining new heights in transportation of automobiles.
- The total loading of automobiles through Railway was only 429 rakes in 2013-14, which has increased to 1,595 rakes 2019-20.
- And in the first six months of the current year (Apr to Sep), Indian Railway has loaded 836 rakes of automobiles against 731 rakes in the previous year (despite almost negligible loading in the first two months).
- Railways are aiming to achieve a modal share of 20% by the end of 2021-22, and a modal share of 30% by 2023-24.
- The participants in the interaction were informed about the steps taken by Railways to promote loading of automobiles, which has led to this quantum jump – and were asked to bring more loading to Rail.
Steps taken to facilitate Automobile loading:
- Haulage Charges for BCACBM rakes have not been revised since May 2013.
- Freight for NMGs has not been revised since May 2018.
- Increase in the number of NMG rakes – from 30 (on 1st April) to 42.
- Two-destination loading permitted in NMG rakes.
- Export of Automobiles permitted:
- Traffic to Bangladesh started in NMG rakes.
- Traffic to Nepal started, via Nautanva terminal (NE Railway).
- 7 new terminals opened for Automobile loading Chitpur (ER); Penukonda (SWR).
- Nasrala (NR); Nautanva (NER) – for traffic to Nepal; Salchapara, Furkating, & New Tinsukia (all NFR).
- Now approx. 52 Railway terminals available.
- All Private Sidings, PFTs, and ICDs can handle Automobile traffic.
Source: South Western Railway-Press Release | Image Credit (representational): MoR
