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SIAM’s 6th Automotive Logistics Conclave concluded- Highlighting various opportunities for multi-modal transportation

Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the apex body of the automobile industry, held its two-day 6th SIAM Automotive Logistics Conclave, themed at ‘Automotive Logistics – Need for Optimisation of Resources’, which concluded today on a positive note, highlighting various opportunities for multi-modal transportation along with innovations that lie ahead for automotive logistics.

The inaugural session, ‘Railways – Opportunities Ahead’ was chaired by Mr R S Kapoor, Vice President, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. Welcoming the audience and thanking the Indian Railways, he said, “Rail volumes have increased. We have set an ambitious target of allocating 30% of volume by trains in the next 5 years. Despite several initiatives being taken up to improve rail growth, many factors are hampering the growth of the same, like low turn-around time, lack of adequate infrastructure in maintaining AFTOs, etc.” Offering one practical solution, he added, “As almost 21% of our rakes are in down-time always due to low maintenance of infrastructure, we should work upon improving our rakes to increase the productivity.”

Ms Monica Agnihotri, Executive Director (Freight Marketing), Railway Board said, “Despite the slowdown in the automobile sector (production and sales), there is an increase of 22% in loading and 26% in railway’s earnings from this sector during April to June 2019 as compared to the same period last year.” Throwing light on the way ahead, she announced, “There is a plan to convert more NMG rakes on priority, a newer, efficient and more versatile design of auto-carriers is in the pipeline. There will be a reduction in the first-mile cost by the construction of railway siding inside the manufacturing unit and procurement of 39 rakes by various operators under AFTO scheme is on a fast-track mode.”

Speaking on the progress in freight corridor, especially for dedicated freights, Mr K Uma Maheshwar Rao, IRS, Joint General Manager, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. said, “Presently, Indian railways and roads constitute a heavily loaded network for transportation of freight. To reduce this burden, Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, which will run from Ludhiana, Punjab to Dankuni, West Bengal, and Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, which will connect Ludhiana to Mumbai, is under construction.” He further stated, “The dedicated freight corridor will transport goods at an average speed of 75 km/hr. Thus, helping to reduce the turn-around time, so much so that a rake loaded in Mumbai in the morning will reach Dadri the same day or next morning. This is a silent revolution in logistics which is happening in our country. After 10 years, there will be a lot of seamless integration of Indian railways, dedicated freight corridors- Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMICDC) & Amritsar Delhi Kolkata Industrial Corridor (ADKIC), and other freight terminals.”

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