| Use rail freight services more, Railways tell State; Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai Duronto Express woul by nikhilndls on 06 September, 2012 - 03:00 PM | ||
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 nikhilndls | Use rail freight services more, Railways tell State; Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai Duronto Express woul on 06 September, 2012 - 03:00 PM | |
Railways have urged the State government to increasingly make use of the rail freight services. Thiruvananthapuram Railway Divisional Manager Rajesh Agarwal recently held talks with the Chief Secretary in this connection.Mr. Agarwal told reporters here on the sidelines of the 55th meeting of the Divisional Railway Consultative Committee that about 1,000 km of rail track in the State connected over 100 stations, and could be effectively used for safe and speedy transport of LPG, agro products, rubber, cement, gypsum, bitumen, coal, foodgrains, containers, fertilizers, and other goods.The Thiruvananthapuram division accounted for only 0.003 per cent of rail freight transport in the country. “About 60,000 tonnes of LPG is being transported through roads across the State a month."The recent gas tanker blast in Kannur has exposed the safety risks involved in transporting LPG over road and the need for decongesting roads. Railways offer a safer and speedier alternative. Currently, it has the infrastructure to transport at least 20 to 30 per cent of the total volume of LPG being transported over road,” said Mr. Agarwal.He stated that 8,500 trucks were needed to transport cargo carried by a ship, whereas the same quantity could be ferried with 28 trains. He said Railways had identified the scope for developing and improving freight-loading facilities at the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam, Mattanchery wharf, Ernakulam wharf, Goods Shed, Ernakulam yard, Kollam, Kayamkulam, Kalamassery, Aluva, Angamaly, and Thrissur. | ||