The recent introduction of new rail connections between a number of deep-sea terminals and the hinterland is making the transfer of goods faster and more secure, while reducing environmental impact.
APM Terminals Pipavav, one of India’s leading multipurpose ports, launched a rail connection to its Kanpur Inland Container at the end of 2018, giving customers the opportunity to connect more efficiently to the gateway port. The new connection was aptly named the ‘Polymer Express’ as the first train on the route was carrying 90 TEUs of polymer for Gail, the natural gas transmission company.
Pipavav is one of India’s leading gateway ports for containers and liquid and dry bulk cargoes, serving customers in the state of Gujarat with road and rail networks to India’s hinterland and northwest.
This follows another recent connection in Italy, where new routes to the north from the port of Vado Ligure, have been resumed. Vado Ligure is a large Mediterranean port that specialises in handling fresh fruit and vegetables, so rapid transit is essential. The new trains from the terminal travel to Rivalta Scrivia where the Rail Hub Europe SpA is based. This is a strategic hub for Norther Italy’s logistics system.
In this first phase the trains are using lowered carriages, suitable for loading extra tall “high-cube” containers, which provide extra volume. These recent additions build on further expansions made last year in Mexico and Sweden.
APM Terminals Gothenburg saw the return of three rail destinations in 2018 – Insjön, Gävle and Karlhamn – increasing the number of routes to Scandinavia’s biggest rail hub to 13.
