Rail connectivity can ease Chennai port congestion: expert

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

As Chennai port is grappling with congestion and poor connectivity to hinterland, a top railway official suggested the need to focus more on rail than road to make the port successful

Chief safety officer southern railway S Anantharaman said that ports like Ennore and Karaikal are thriving due to rail connectivity. “Port efficiency is not measured on how you use cranes. If there is no hinterland connectivity, ports can’t be successful,” he said.

He said there is a need for ports to increase rail cargos and reduce dependency on road. “This will help reduce pollution and move towards green energy,” he said.

A railway rake can move around 55 containers in a single trip. Similarly, the same through road would need 55 trailers to move the same cargo which creates congestion on the road. Currently, there are too many trucks and trailers moving in and out of Chennai port resulting in serious congestion at entry and exit points of port. This causes pollution as well as frequent hold-up.

Interestingly, Chennai Port is also planning to focus more on rail connectivity. It is currently adding two more railway lines inside the port and a proposal in this regard has been finalized.

“We are slowly shifting from road mode to rail mode. We will soon have four lane rail connectivity,” said deputy chairman of Chennai port P C Parida. The proposal will help transport containerized cargo from the port which would reduce the pressure on roads.

Anantharaman stressed on the need to follow the Rotterdam model of The Netherlands. The port is now shifting its focus on rail rather than on road, he said. He said Chennai Port is facing the problem of congestion as it has failed to utilize railways unlike Ennore and Karaikal which are well connected to railways.