The Union Minister said door-to-door services are essential for the country, as they will enhance efficiency and significantly reduce logistics costs.
File Photo: IANS
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday virtually inaugurated the Sonik Integrated Logistics Hub and flagged off two new Door-to-Door Freight and Parcel Services.
The Union Minister said door-to-door services are essential for the country, as they will enhance efficiency and significantly reduce logistics costs.
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Integrated Logistics Hub at Sonik will offer Door-to-Door Logistics and Seamless Cargo Movement including Fertilizer, Food-Grains, Cement, and Tractors.
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Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR) will manage all terminal operations and provide crucial First and Last Mile connectivity, ensuring seamless cargo movement.
Indian Railways has introduced Assured Transit Container Train Service between Delhi and Kolkata, and Door to Door Parcel Service on Mumbai–Kolkata Route.
First Mile and Last Mile services for the assured transit service can be easily booked and managed through the user-friendly CONCOR e-Logistics Mobile App.
New Door-to-Door Rail Parcel Service outperforms Road Transport with 7.5 per cent cost savings and 30 per cent Faster Transit on Mumbai–Kolkata Route.
The Union Minister highlighted that industries can now send a specific number of containers without the need to fill an entire rake to their destination.
Vaishnaw added that the logistical gap between factories and the loading/unloading points of trains will now be bridged by Indian Railways through comprehensive door-to-door services.
He further said goods sheds or logistics terminals will be equipped with facilities for stuffing and de-stuffing containers, allowing customers to fully benefit from the new service model.
The Union Minister mentioned that Sonik has become the first integrated logistics hub offering this facility. Under the Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals initiative, 115 terminals have been developed to provide multimodal services, delivering substantial benefits to customers.
Starting with the Mumbai–Kolkata corridor, more services will soon be operational to ensure the smooth movement of goods and expand connectivity to more cities.
The Minister added that another experiment has also proven successful—transporting equipment such as tractors at affordable rates to benefit farmers. Just as car cargo is moved efficiently, similar transportation facilities will now be extended for tractors and heavy construction equipment (JCB).
Satish Kumar, Chairman and CEO, Railway Board emphasised that the door-to-door delivery initiative represents a paradigm shift in rail-based logistics—where a consignee’s consignment is picked up directly from the warehouse or factory and delivered to the final destination by Indian Railways.
Aligned with the logistics vision of Viksit Bharat, this initiative signifies the beginning of Indian Railways’ transformation from being a transporter of goods to becoming a complete logistics service provider for freight customers.
Indian Railways is the world’s second largest freight carrier, transporting 1.6 billion tonnes of goods annually.
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