Maruti Suzuki India Ltd successfully handled its first trial rake carrying 119 cars at the Vallarpadam rail siding. The Cochin Port Authority said the trial took three hours and 15 minutes. Officials now wait for a commercial proposal from Maruti to start regular movements, which could help use the rail link.
Cochin Port Authority has permitted Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) to handle automobile rake movements through the ICTT rail siding at Vallarpadam, with the first trial rake carrying 119 cars successfully handled at the terminal.
The rake was unloaded and cleared in three hours and 15 minutes without affecting normal terminal operations, according to senior port officials. The trial was conducted on a no-cost basis, and MSIL has expressed satisfaction with the handling, senior port officials said.
M.Angamuthu, Chairperson in charge of Cochin Port said that they have now sought a commercial proposal from MSIL for taking the service forward. Maruti is bringing cars from Gujarat for sales in Keralam. DP World, which operates the International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT), has also assured the port authority that it would keep it informed on the progress towards regular automobile rake movements.
The volume of future movements will depend on the commercial offer. The port is expecting around two rakes a month and is awaiting formal confirmation from MSIL on the proposed volumes and rates, he said.
Industry sources said that the trial is seen as an opportunity to improve utilisation of the 8.86-km Vallarpadam rail link, which has remained under-utilised since its commissioning. The rail corridor, connecting Vallarpadam with Edappally on the mainland, was constructed at a cost of about ₹370 crore.
High rail freight costs, limited cargo patronage and the preference of shippers for cheaper and more flexible road transport have been cited among the major reasons for the low utilisation of the rail link. There have also been proposals over the years to explore dual use of the corridor for freight and passenger services, including possible integration with the Kochi Metro, the sources said.
Meanwhile, a container shipping line had recently explored using the rail service in association with CONCOR to move empty containers from the Inland Container Depot at Whitefield, Bengaluru. However, the absence of a return cargo leg from Kochi has prompted the shipping line to put the initiative on hold. The company is understood to be looking for another shipping line to facilitate empty-container repositioning from Kochi.