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The Indian Port Rail Corporation Limited (IPRCL) has been entrusted with the task of studying the feasibility of different connectivity projects at Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT). According to sources, the railway projects at VPT are estimated to cost over Rs 236 crore. The work is expect to be completed in the next couple of years.
The projects include direct connectivity from Mindi yard to East Coast Railway lines in addition to providing direct connection between Ore Exchange Complex (OEC) and western sector joining at NAD curve from East Coast Railway lines at VPT. The railway network at VPT is the largest among Indian ports with over 200 km of rail length and over 30 sidings.
The extension of line numbers 11 to 15 to full length at the reception and dispatch yard (R&D) and additional line on the eastern side of the R&D yard are also being planned. Apart from these, signalling works including RRI (route relay interlocking) at R&D yard, panel interlocking at B cabin and at dumper cabin are also part of the projects being considered by IPRCL.
According to sources, the different railway projects planned at VPT are expected to improve cargo handled at the port. “The railway network is an important part of VPT as they are necessary for evacuation of cargo from the port. We are looking at increasing our traffic share in the coming year and in line with those plans, we also want to make our railway network more efficient,” said a VPT source. “The port has a handling capacity of over 100 million tonne, but we handle about 56-58 million tonne per annum. We expect it to reach around 60 million tonne this fiscal. So we are taking road and rail connectivity projects to ensure that evacuation of cargo will not be hindered.”
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