Cheaper Cement Freight Cost Will Help Middle Class, Says Ashwini Vaishnaw
Vaishnaw launched the rationalisation of freight for bulk cement in tank containers and policy for bulk cement terminals at Rail Bhawan.
The transportation costs for cement for middle class families will reduce by the freight reforms introduced by the railways, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday.
"We have designed a new tank container where bulk cement will be loaded in the factory itself and then transported to the point of consumer without any pollution. By having a flat rate, the terminal can be located at any point depending upon the need of markets," he told NDTV Profit. "We want to simplify container transportation."
He said India has surpassed the United States to become the second-largest freight-carrying eailway at 1.6 billion tonnes.
Vaishnaw launched the rationalisation of freight for bulk cement in tank containers and policy for bulk cement terminals at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi, as part of revised Railway Reforms for Cement Transportation for simplifying end-to-end freight logistics for cement transportation.
The new rate structure has been simplified and rationalized by introducing charges based on the actual tonnage, calculated as the Gross Tonne Kilometre (GTKM) of the train.
To enhance ease of doing bsiness, the previous distance and weight slabs have been removed. Under the revised system, freight is charged at a flat rate of Rs 0.90 per tonne per kilometre for the actual distance covered.
The policy promotes the use of tank containers to support efficient multimodal, end-to-end logistics for bulk cement. The Tank Container is an effective end-to-end logistics solution for bulk cement transportation and is a proud “Make in India” product.
The design makes it ideal for seamless multimodal transportation—moving easily from train to trailer and back to train—enabling smooth delivery from the point of production to the point of consumption.
Moreover, Railways will facilitate the development of bulk cement terminals across the country under the “Bulk Cement Terminal” policy, enabling smoother handling, storage, and distribution of cement.
The bulk cement terminals will be constructed, operated, and maintained with direct connectivity to the railway network to ensure seamless logistics. These terminals will be equipped with essential facilities such as hoppers, silos, bagging plants, and other related infrastructure to support efficient handling, storage, and distribution of bulk cement.
