The East Coast ports are clamouring for more empty rakes to clear the accumulated stocks of imported bulk items, particularly coal, and some of the ports are even threatening to restrict the arrivals of ships with imports.

This being the busy season, there is huge demand for rakes from
everywhere. Moving empty rakes in such a situation may not be in the
best interest of the railways. But then it is also pointed out that
domestic coal movement is always one-way. For example, rakes carrying
huge quantities of coal from the mines in West Bengal and Bihar to the
power houses in far off northern India and Punjab come back as empties.
This is true about other circuits also. The crux of the problem lies
elsewhere. Haldia dock is unable to handle big bulk carriers with
sizeable parcel loads due to the deterioration of the navigability on
the Hooghly. These vessels are being diverted to neighbouring ports,
putting pressure at those ports. There have been situations when steel
majors, both in the private and public sectors, resorted to barge
movement of imported coal from one East Coast port to another at cost.
The railways have well laid down movement plan for handling imports at
various East Coats ports and the circuit is now disturbed. What is
therefore important is that the crisis should not be seen in isolation.
There has to be an integrated policy; otherwise, the blame game will go
on.

Source: The Hindu Business Line

Search to find what you want

• Paradip port to evacuate more empty rake for imported coal

    Paradip Port Trust has sent an SoS to the Railway Board for allotment of more empty rakes to facilitate immediate evacuation of bulk cargoes, particularly imported coal, both thermal and coking, accumulating at the port “Our stacking area is full, holding a stock of about two million tonnes of imported

• Imported cargoes create congestion at Paradip Port

    In the absence of allotment of adequate rakes by Railways, imported cargo at Paradip Port are lying at its premises which has created an alarming situation, could result in ships waiting at Paradip anchorage till the cargo are cleared, leading to congestion at the port. On Saturday, about 25 ships

• SAIL, Tata Steel to reduce coal imports by Paradip Port

    Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and Tata Steel have scaled down coal imports through Paradip Port, hit by pre-berthing detention problem. SAIL has no plans so far to bring any vessel to Paradip in August.“In June, we could load two rakes at Paradip and in July, nine against the earlier

• Piling coal supplies turn forces Paradip Port Vessels

    Paradip Port Trust is unable to accept any more coal ships in view of the huge built-up of coal stocks, more than two million tonnes, within the port premises.

• Indian iron ore mining mess – Hits Traffic at Indian Ports

    It is reported that the closure and suspension of work in more than 50 iron ore mines in Orissa over the past month has hit supplies to Paradip Port for export As per IANS report, Paradip Port received 200 rakes of iron ore last month against 218 rakes in October

• CIL cuts coal production target of 6.5% for 11 Plan

    State-run Coal India (CIL) today said it has lowered its production target to 486 million tonnes from 520 million tonnes for the 11th Five Year Plan period (2007-12) in a mid-term review.“We have revised the production target to 486 million tonnes against 520 million tonnes projected earlier,” CIL Chairman

• Haldia dock throughput falls in the current fiscal

    The throughput at the Haldia dock is on the decline.

• Closure of Orissa iron ore mines to take care in the Paradip Port

    The closure and suspension of work in more than 50 iron ore mines in Orissa over the past month has hit supplies to Paradip port for export, a port official said.Paradip port, in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur district, some 100 km from here, received 200 rakes of iron ore last month

• NMPT mechanisation must for iron ore handling

    The share of iron ore in total cargo handled at the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) has been increasing over the years. The time has come for NMPT to go in for mechanised handling of cargo. In 2003-04, the port crossed the one million mark in iron ore handling. That year,

• Rail sidings within Krishnapatnam port are fully operational

    Krishnapatnam Port Company Limited (KPCL) – a dynamic new generation port is another step closer in being a world class port with its inside railway port siding being fully operational. With the Railway notification ‘Commercial Circular letter No 171 of 2009’, inside port sidings of Krishnapatnam Port have been opened to traffic.