Indian Railways' Freight Ferries 'Laterite'

The Chennai division transported a complete of three,962 tonnes of laterite to Andhra Pradesh

A brand new commodity for the Indian Railways freight community - 'laterite' - one of many main uncooked supplies used for development, was lately loaded and ferried between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, which the railway ministry pegged as ''a brand new stream of freight visitors''. The first consignment of the sector's latest commodity for freight was transported between two main states for the primary time ever, leading to income era of Rs.19.21 lakh for Indian Railways. (Also Read: How One Of India's Oldest Railway Stations Is Becoming A Developing Hub For Freight Traffic )

The Chennai division - which comes below the Southern Railway zone, loaded the consignment from the Chennai Harbour to be ferried to cement factories in Andhra Pradesh, transporting a complete of three,962 tonnes of laterite. The first consignment within the rake comprised a complete of 58 wagons, that have been loaded on the Chennai Port and ferried to the Zuari Cement siding on the Yerraguntla city in Andhra Pradesh.
 

Laterite loaded by the Chennai division of Southern Railways
Photo Credit: Ministry of Railways (Twitter)

What is laterite?

The commodity is extensively used as one of many uncooked supplies for cement manufacturing within the nation. Considered to be each soil and rock, laterite is used for a number of infrastructural functions together with street development, cement manufacturing, constructing blocks, waste water therapy, ores, amongst others. 

Why 'laterite' as the latest commodity for freight operation on railways?

The Chennai Harbor receives laterite from the Kandla port of Gujarat. The uncooked materials is extracted from the mines of Kutch in Gujarat. A Mumbai-based agency - KAYKAY Trading - mentioned to be one of many largest importers of gypsum within the nation, imported laterite to Chennai Harbour from Gujarat, in response to Southern Railways.
 

How will 'laterite' deliver a brand new stream of freight visitors for Indian Railways?

Originating from mines of Kutch - laterite is dropped at Chennai by means of six ships carrying as a lot as 70,000 tonnes of fabric yearly. From the Chennai Port, laterite can be transported by means of the railways' freight trains to achieve the cement manufacturing crops in Andhra Pradesh.

The ensuing freight visitors is estimated to fetch a income of Rs 24 crores for Indian Railways every year, mentioned the Southern Railways zone in its assertion.