Railways trial run of double-stacked dwarf container train successful

Railways has conducted a successful trial run of double stacked dwarf container train from Mehsana in Gujarat to Jawaharlal Nehru Port, a release said on Thursday.

The train with five wagons of double-stacked dwarf containers arrived the Port on Thursday at 11:30 am and departed at 1 pm, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust ( (JNPT) said in the release.

'Dwarf' containers provides 67 per cent higher volume when double-stacked and can carry a weight of 71 tons, against 40 tons by an ISO container, it said.

The government-run port operator also said that "it is in the process of finalising an operator for 'management, maintenance and operations of a dedicated dwarf container depot (D-Depot) inside the Port area".

Indian Railways has given 17 per cent discount on haulage cost for double stack dwarf container trains compared to double stack ISO container trains coupled with additional volume benefit, JNPT said.

At the D-Depot ISO containers for exports and imports will be destuffed/restuffed and then re-stuffed in the dwarf containers for further movement on rail to and from Jawaharlal Nehru Port, said the release.

The introduction of dwarf container would be game changer as the rail movement of EXIM cargo through double stacked dwarf containers would significantly provide cost advantage to the customers and enhance rail traffic at the Port, JNPT said.