The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata needs private terminals

A section of the private container train operators, keen to step up operations in Eastern region, sincerely feel the need for proper terminals in and around Kolkata, to facilitate their operations. Right now there is no such terminal. The one located in the Kolkata port area belongs to the Container Corporation of India, which does not allow the terminal to be used by its competitors. Hence, the private terminals, which can be shared by various operators, as in Delhi or Mu mbai, are urgently needed. The Railways have urged the private operators to use several goods sheds located at Dankuni, Bandel, Rishra and other places. But the operators are not impressed due to several reasons. First, the facilities in the goods sheds are not exactly meant for handling containerised traffic. Second, many of the goods sheds are already congested and therefore they won’t be in a position to handle additional traffic, particularly containers. Finally, the cost of operations in these goods sheds is prohibitive. The Railways, it is therefore felt, must come out with suitable schemes to attract new private players to these sheds. After all, there is no dearth of traffic.

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