Railways launches first private service; to link auto hubs with freight trains

Indian Railways is planning to run automobile freight trains connecting auto hubs and distribution centres, including ports, to decongest road traffic, reduce the carbon footprint and shorten the duration of transport of finished cars.

Union minister for railways D V Sadananda Gowda said this while flagging off South India's first automobile double-decker train at Melpakkam near Arakkonam on Friday.

''The ministry is planning to connect the automobile hubs to double the freight by 2019. It will augment the revenue of the railways.''

APL Logistics and VASCOR Automotive launched the first automobile freight train joint venture, Autolinx,.

The minister invited the private players to invest in the Railways, which offers vast opportunities to private players and also encourages them on innovative projects. The ministry has two dedicated corridors for freight from Sone Nagar to Ludhiana and Ludhiana to Jawarhalal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai.

''The two corridor works are on. We will expedite the project and complete it by 2019,'' he said.