The state-run rail hauler Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) has initiated the evacuation of direct port delivery (DPD) containers landing at Jawaharlal Nehru port by rail, marking a pioneering effort aimed at alleviating pressure on terminal gates, providing a sustainable alternative to road transport, and curbing emissions.

Under the DPD scheme, import containers are directly delivered to pre-approved clients at the port itself, as opposed to awaiting clearance at a container freight station (CFS) located externally. This practice diminishes cargo dwell time and cost for shippers.

A CFS, licensed by the Customs Department, serves to alleviate congestion at a port by relocating containerized cargo and conducting Customs-related operations beyond the port vicinity.

In collaboration with Gateway Terminals India (GTI) and PSA BDP, CONCOR initiated the dispatch of two rakes on May 11 and 12, carrying cargo from Sabic Innovative Plastics India from GTI's rail siding at Jawaharlal Nehru port in Nhava Sheva to its Varnama ICD at Vadodara, and subsequently to SABIC's plant.

GTI, a joint venture between APM Terminals Management B V (holding a 74 per cent stake) and CONCOR (holding a 26 per cent stake), operates as one of the five private container terminals at the state-owned Jawaharlal Nehru Port. APM Terminals Management represents the container port operating arm of Danish shipping and transport conglomerate A P Moller-Maersk A/S.

Since the inception of the scheme several years ago, DPD import containers from GTI and other terminals at Jawaharlal Nehru port have been evacuated via road.

According to a CONCOR official, the shift from road to rail transportation offers evident advantages to GTI by alleviating gate congestion and benefits customers due to the cost-effectiveness of rail transportation compared to road. Approximately 3,500 containers pass through GTI gates.