Category Archives: Rail/Road

DB Schenker has identified significant problems relating to the new customs formalities that now apply to shipments between the European Union and the United Kingdom (UK) as a result of Brexit. Only around 10 per cent of the customs documents submitted for consignments that DB Schenker has been commissioned to ship have been complete and free of errors. Most of the documents are incomplete and/or contain errors. DB Schenker employees who have been specially trained for Brexit are available around the clock to assist customers in completing the required customs documents correctly. Nevertheless, every consignment accompanied by incomplete and/or erroneous customs documents delays the departure of the associated full-load shipment. Consignments that are not properly declared cannot be delivered to their destinations. To effectively manage the increased workload that has resulted from this situation, DB Schenker is mobilizing personnel for the Brexit Task Force that the company established more than a year ago. These employees will be responsible for supporting corrections and producing compliant customs documents. Despite this extra effort, DB Schenker has been forced to put a temporarily hold on the acceptance of new consignments for shipment to the United Kingdom. The company bhas also announced that all consignments that have already been accepted will, as always, be delivered as quickly as possible. DB Schenker expects shipping volumes to increase further in January. The logistics services providers can only process consignments quickly if the share of correct and complete customs documents also increases significantly. Both shipper and consignees need to ensure that compliant documents are provided. With the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, such documents now include a proof of origin, a compliant invoice in conformance with current customs …

Widening its range of worldwide project logistics services, GEODIS is positioning this offer with a new name in the market, changing from GEODIS Industrial Projects to GEODIS Project Logistics. The name change reflects the more diversified service portfolio of GEODIS in this sector which now goes beyond serving the industrial segment. In addition to GEODIS’ growing activity in the Renewable Energy market, as well as the company’s evolving offer for the Oil & Gas industry, GEODIS is integrating its Aid & Relief business as well as its Marine Logistics teams into the expanded project logistics organization. “GEODIS Project Logistics represents the full spectrum of services we offer today”, said Luke Mace, Senior Vice President Project Logistics at GEODIS. “While the logistical challenges of each sector can be very different, all have very important requirements in common: expertise in handling, attention to detail and quality of service. Such are the foundations of GEODIS Project Logistics. Our clients can have confidence that our diversification will strengthen our services through extended expertise, a continuous drive for innovation and our high standard for safety and compliance.” GEODIS Project Logistics is offered in over 30 countries. 550 project logistics specialists worldwide operate in the sectors of Oil & Gas, Renewables, Rail, Nuclear, Mining, Power, Infrastructure, Petrochemical Production and Refining, Aid & Relief, Marine Logistics and Governmental Services.

CEVA Logistics has launched an express train service from Jinhua (China) to Dourges (France) to provide additional freight capacity for shippers amid unprecedented demand for transport and logistics services. Loaded with 22 full containers of various supplies, CEVA Logistics’ first train has left China on 18 day journey. The train connects a string of “Belt and Road” countries such as Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, and Germany with a journey of over 11,000 km. Having Dourges as the transit point, the destination delivery outreach will cover Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy as well as France. Through the Jinhua-Dourges express train, CEVA Logistics can provide its existing customers with a fast, convenient, and sustainable China-Europe rail solutions. Compared to cargo movement via truck, the block train option reduces CO2 emissions by up to 67%. Xavier Bour, Global Ground and Rail Product Leader, CEVA Logistics, says, “With global supply chains experiencing unprecedented demand for transport and logistics services, CEVA Logistics is committed to providing its existing and potential customers with convenient and sustainable solutions. Our rail and multi modal solutions, together with our parent company the CMA CGM Group, between China and Europe are part of that strategy. France is an important logistics hub on the European market and with this new service, CEVA Logistics has tapped into the rail market for Eastern and Western Europe. Our next extension of our rail footprint will be the development of the southern Europe market.”

Ecom Express has announced a strategic investment worth of US$ 11 million in Bangladesh’s largest third-party e-commerce logistics (3PL) firm Paperfly. Through this investment, Ecom Express is entering Bangladesh marking its maiden venture outside India. After having covered the length and breadth of the country reaching over 1.2 billion people daily, Ecom Express is now looking at expanding into adjacent countries, starting with Bangladesh. T.A. Krishnan, CEO and Co-Founder, Ecom Express, says, “We see a lot of growth opportunities in adjacent markets and the current investment is one of the many things in the pipeline. We looked at multiple aspects before identifying Bangladesh for our first international venture. The market draws parallel with India in terms of growth and demography and we want to leverage our experience and domain expertise to enable high scalability growth and build a strategic backbone of e-commerce logistics in Bangladesh. Paperfly is quite similar to Ecom Express in its operations and we admire what the company has accomplished in the Bangladesh market. We look forward to enabling Paperfly to unlock new avenues for an enhanced third-party logistics and home delivery in the country.” The investments will be used by Paperfly towards transformation of logistics through intelligence driven automations and data sciences that would enable the company to meet the fast-growing demand for quality e-commerce logistics services in Bangladesh. It will further accelerate the company’s implementation of advanced supply chain and logistics processes, agile solutions in delivery and warehouse management, and other operational facets in the logistics and supply chain. With more than 167 million inhabitants and over 90 million internet users, the e-commerce industry in Bangladesh is emerging and has become one of the fastest …

Mahindra Logistics launches electric last-mile delivery service Mahindra Logistics (MLL) has announced the launch of its cargo last-mile delivery service under the brand name ‘EDel’. The company enters into new service line of sustainable last-mile logistics and fulfilment with ‘EDel’ for customers in E-Commerce, FMCG and other markets. EDel would initially operate across 6 major cities in India including Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata, before expanding to a total of 14 cities in the next 12 months. The operating model and utilisation metrics of EVs today enables EDel to provide sustainable and competitive services when compared with traditional ICE powered solutions. EDel will provide multiple offerings including package & trip-based services. These offerings will provide customers a scalable, sustainable and cost-efficient solution. With a load capacity and enhanced range that compares well with existing ICE options, EDel will give customers in the E-commerce, FMCG, Pharmaceutical, Consumer Durables and Electronics industries a significant edge in efficient and responsible distribution and last-mile delivery solutions. EDel will deploy a fleet of EVs starting with 3W vehicles, designed for cargo applications. The fleet will be deployed by MLL in collaboration with its supply partners. MLL will also be establishing a network of dedicated charging infrastructure for its EV operations under EDel with connected telematics platform to enable customer experience, vehicle & battery utilization and network management. In Phase 1, EDel is focused on deploying a fleet of 1000 vehicles. The initial focus will be on 3W cargo applications and EDel will primarily utilise the Treo Zor EV by Mahindra Electric. In future, MLL will also evaluate expanding to 4W and other electric delivery options. The fleet will be expanded along with …

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 306-km new Rewari- Madar section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). While dedicating it to the nation, Prime Minister also flagged off the world’s first double-stack long-haul 1.5-km-long container train hauled by electric traction from New Ateli-New Kishangarh through video-conferencing. The 306 km Rewari-Madar section of Western DFC will provide quantum boost to freight and logistics by decongesting Indian railway network with energy efficient transportation and reduced transportation cost. The new Rewari-Madar section of the WDFC is situated in Haryana (approximately 79 km in Mahendragarh and Rewari districts) and Rajasthan (approximately 227 km in Jaipur, Ajmer, Sikar, Nagaur and Alwar districts). The opening of this stretch will benefit various industries in the Rewari, Manesar, Narnaul, Phulera and Kishangarh areas of Haryana and Rajasthan and also enable better usage of the container depot of the CONCOR at Kathuwas. PM Modi said, “The ‘mahayagya’ to modernise the country’s infrastructure today gained new momentum. This dedicated freight corridor project is being seen as a game-changer for India in the 21st century. After the hard work of the last five to six years, today a big portion of it (project) has become a reality. This dedicated freight corridor project is being seen as a game-changer for India in the 21st century.”

With new features like online tracking, reduced costs and better ease of doing business, Indian Railways has launched a dedicated online portal for its freight customers. Billed as a ‘one-stop solution’ for freight customers, the portal has been designed to replace physical processes with online ones to minimize the need of human to human interaction. The new portal was unveiled by Piyush Goyal, Minister for Railways, Commerce & Industry. He says, “The new portal will be game-changer in ensuring in ease of doing business with Railways.” Key features of the new Freight Business Portal of Indian Railways • A simplified registration process and convenient placement of demand for wagons. • Guides new and prospective customers through available benefits, terminals and logistics options • Assists new customers in choosing wagons and shows cost and shipping time estimates. • For existing customers, the new portal provides a personalized dashboard with easy access to all business being conducted through IR. • Live-tracking of consignments through GIS view. • Single-click applications for various services like discount schemes, diversion, rebooking, demurrage, wharfage waivers, stacking permissions and more. • Rake allotment status and pendency or maturity of indents at various terminals • Special Commodity Pages that help the user find the most suitable wagons, terminals, charges, transit times, etc for your area. • Logistics Partnering facilities • Customer support section for suggestions and complaints that will be attended to professionally. The portal can also be accessed at www.indianrailways.gov.in

Resulting faster delivery of goods and reduced freight costs, freight trains have started to attain top speed of above 90 km/h on newly inaugurated New Khurja- New Bhaupur section of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the 351 km Khurja- New Bhaupur section of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor on December 29, 2020. Meeting the objectives, the new section is witnessing seamless transportation of major freight commodities at a speed above 90 kmph on this newly inaugurated section. Till January 3, 2021, a total of 53 trains were operated. Of these trains, 32 trains ran between New Khurja and New Bhaupur (down direction) at the highest total speed of 83.70 km per hour. While in the up direction, between New Bhaupur and New Khurja, as many as 21 trains were operated at a maximum speed of 85.98 km per hour. After the commissioning of this new section, coal, jute, petroleum, container, iron & steel and other minerals are primary commodities moving towards NCR and Punjab & Haryana area whereas rice, wheat and food grain products from Punjab and Haryana area, fertilizer, steel, coal loadable empty wagons etc are moving towards eastern India. In the first phase, DFCCIL is constructing the Western DFC (1504 Route km) and Eastern DFC (1856 route km including PPP section of Sonnagar-Dankuni Section. The EDFC starting from Sahnewal near Ludhiana (Punjab) will pass through the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand to terminate at Dankuni in West Bengal. The Western Corridor connecting Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Mumbai will traverse through the states of UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra of WDFC & EDFC (excluding …

With an estimated cost of Rs 3,883.80 crore, the Union Cabinet has approved construction of multi-modal logistics and transport hub at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also approved proposals of the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for construction of various trunk infrastructure components for Krishnapatnam Industrial Area in Andhra Pradesh and Tumakuru Industrial Area in Karnataka at estimated costs of Rs 2,139.44 crore and Rs 1,701.81 crore, respectively. The multi-modal logistics hub project will be developed as a world-class facility that will provide efficient storage/transitioning of goods to/from the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) and offer a one-stop destination to freight companies and customers, an official statement said. The facility will not only provide standard container handling activities but also provide various value-added services to reduce logistics cost with improved efficiency of operations, it added. Envisioned on the backbone of major transportation corridors like eastern and western dedicated freight corridors, expressways and national highways, proximity to ports, and airports, it said, the objective of industrial corridor programme is creation of greenfield industrial cities with sustainable ”plug and play”, ICT enabled utilities to facilitate manufacturing investments into the country by providing quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure to industries. The developed land parcels in these cities will be ready for immediate allotment for attracting investments into manufacturing, and positioning India as a strong player in the global value chain. It said these projects have been planned on the backbone of multi modal connectivity infrastructure. “Krishnapatnam Industrial Area in Andhra Pradesh and Tumakuru Industrial Area in Karnataka under the Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) have been approved …

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the ‘New Bhaupur- New Khurja section’ of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) on December 29, 2020. Prime Minister will also inaugurate EDFC’s Operation Control Centre (OCC) at Prayagraj. The 351 km New Bhaupur- New Khurja section of EDFC is situated in Uttar pradesh and is built at a cost of Rs 5,750 crores. The section will open new vistas of opportunity for the local industries such as aluminium industry (Pukhrayan region of Kanpur Dehat district), dairy sector (Auraiya district), textile production/block printing (Etawah district), glassware industry (Firozabad district), pottery products (Khurja of Bulandshahr district), asafoetida or ‘hing’ production (Hathras district) and locks and hardware (Aligarh district). The section will also decongest the existing Kanpur-Delhi main line and will enable Indian Railways to run faster trains. A state-of-the-art Operation Control Centre (OCC) at Prayagraj will act as the command centre for the entire route length of the EDFC. The OCC is one of the largest structures of its type globally, with modern interiors, ergonomic design and best-in-class acoustics. The building is environment-friendly with a Green Building rating of GRIHA4 and is built as per norms of the ‘Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan’. Governor of Uttar Pradesh Shrimati Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal will also be present on the occasion.