Global trade enabler DP World-operated International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Cochin flagged-off a new weekly rail service, operated by CONCOR between Cochin and the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Whitefield. This will bring about a significant reduction in both costs and transit time between Vallarpadam/Cochin and Bangalore by over 40%.
The new rail service was flagged off by the Chairperson of Cochin Port Trust, Dr. M. Beena, IAS and Executive Director Southern Region CONCOR, Mr. Sanjay Bajpai on 22nd January. The inaugural run had 100% rake utilization and transported 80 TEUs of cargo for AvanaLogistek Ltd.
“We are pleased to announce the inauguration of new rail service from our terminal to Bangalore. The weekly rail service will help reduce cost and transit time for both domestic and EXIM cargo. With the proximity of six hours to the hinterland, fast turnaround, rail-connectivity to the busy cargo hub and increased connectivity with global markets, ICTT offers customers more options to move their cargo in a smarter, faster and efficient manner.”
Praveen Thomas, CEO, DP World Cochin
The rail service will allow customers to connect their cargo directly to Europe, Middle-East and Mediterranean services via ICTT Cochin instead of routing it through the port of Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is expected that this will reduce the transit time by 5-6 days, thereby supplying faster connections to global markets. It will further provide customers with multimodal freight options to transport their cargo, thus reducing dependency on road.
