Mangaluru and Goa, break bulk service from next week

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, May 02, 2018: The Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL) will start break bulk and piecemeal wagon-based freight service between Mangaluru and Goa within a week, Joseph George, Chief Manager (Strategy, Planning and Business Development), KRCL, said here on Friday.

 

Speaking at an interactive session with traders at the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), he said that the service in Mangaluru would be started either from Thokuru or Surathkal railway station to Verna station in Goa.

He said that one wagon would carry 120 tonnes of cargo in round the trip (to and fro) between Mangaluru and Goa. Hence a wagon initially would take only 60 tonnes of cargo in one-way.

An aggregator would collect and deliver the break bulk and piecemeal cargo from traders and others. The goods thus collected would be carried in a wagon. Hence, a trader cannot book the cargo directly with the KRCL.

“The freight charges will be competitively priced. It will be cheaper than the Ro Ro service which has reached the saturation level,” KRCL’s  George said.

He said that this service would specifically help such traders sending or receiving small quantity of cargo and who cannot afford booking a wagon as a whole as it would be costlier.

Replying to a question, he said that traders would have to bear the loading and unloading cost from end to end in addition to the freight charges of the KRCL. All charges would be collected by the aggregator.

He said that if the response to the service is encouraging, the service from Mangaluru would be extended till Kolad in Maharasthra. When some traders pointed out that the proposed service would be viable and would help traders only if the service was introduced between Mangaluru and Mumbai, Mr. George said that it would be taken up with the management of the KRCL.

S. Vinay Kumar, Regional Traffic Manager, KRCL, Mangaluru, said that it would be a good business opportunity for a person to become an aggregator to collect and deliver the goods. He said that Thokuru station also had the infrastructure facilities for handling the cargo.  Vathika Pai, president, KCCI spoke.