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FICCI favours southern freight corridor

CHENNAI: While planning on the dedicated freight corridors along the golden quadrilateral, linking Mumbai and Kolkata with New Delhi, has reached an advanced stage, there has been no mention of such a freight corridor to connect the South.

Raising this critical issue, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has called for simultaneous inclusion of and planning for a southern corridor, with Chennai as a focal point.

The Union Government and the Planning Commission have taken the initiative to lay a freight corridor each to the West and the East from New Delhi. Recently, a Japanese delegation held detailed discussions with the Centre and the Indian Railways to consider investments and involvement of Japanese industry and technology for the high-speed corridor.

At its recent conclave on infrastructure, FICCI’s state council recommended to the Centre the immediate inclusion of a freight corridor to link Chennai.

According to P. Murari, Adviser to the FICCI President, the conclave suggested the adoption of latest technologies by the Indian Railways to counter terrorist attacks. Noting that saboteurs of the U.K. train disaster were identified by state-of-the-art technology, he wanted the Indian Railways to harness this effectively at all stations and installations. It could include cameras, bomb detectors, hand held detection devices, and sniffer dogs.

In its efforts to meet competition, the Railways should consider introduction of controlled temperature wagons to handle perishable goods. It should also take on the service of delivering parcels at the doorsteps of customers, using lorries or mini trucks to hand over parcels to consignees as was done two or three decades ago. Construction of inland container depots on a public private partnership basis should also be undertaken to offer ‘plant to port’ service for users. The promised port-rail connectivity projects to all major and important minor ports must be undertaken without delay, the FICCI said.

Another service recommended to the Railways was the ‘Frequent Traveller’ facility, as offered by airlines. Such a premium service can encourage the Railways as the “preferred mode of travel” by passengers, especially the business travellers, who plan their trips at the last minute.

For Tamil Nadu, the conclave suggested a ‘Beach express’ along the East Coast. To link Tiruvanmiyur to Mahabalipuram in the first phase, this service could ultimately connect Puducherry and run up to Kanyakumari, incidentally also linking up the minor ports with Chennai on the one side and Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) on the other.

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