New integrated rail yard for jnpt

JNPT states that the new rail facility is a “state-of-the-art” operation for the port’s marine terminals, with the aim of “streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency.” It is also a key part of the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) being developed in India.

The new yard has three 1500m rail lines for double-stack container trains, with two for loading and unloading of containers, and one is for engine turnaround of electric locomotives.

The Western part of the DFC project is a 1504km broad-gauge freight only connector between Dadri, the busiest ICD in North India, and Nhava Sheva. In addition, on the DFC route it is estimated that wagons can carry freight of up to 81 tons per wagon at a speed of 100km, which includes double-stack container trains, compared with 60 kmph on the normal network.

JNPT states that a primary objective is to target the conversion of truckloads to rail to alleviate road congestion and improve container dwell times.

For the first quarter of fiscal year 2023-2024 (April-June 2023), JNPT handled 1.52 million TEU, an increase of three per cent year-on-year. Of this total, rail traffic accounted for a share of 16.6 per cent.