New Delhi, Sept. 15 -- Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday highlighted the Centre's Gati Shakti initiative to integrate railways with highways, waterways and other transport modes as he dedicated four Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals (GCTs) in Gujarat and laid the foundation stone for another.
Vaishnaw said 150 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals had been built and made operational across the country, benefiting different regions. The policy, introduced in 2021, has made connecting cargo facilities with the railway network simpler, he said.
The minister dedicated GCTs at Bhimasar in Kutch, Devaliya in Junagadh, Chandisar in Banaskantha and Shivlakha in Kutch through video conference. He also laid the foundation stone for a GCT at Linch in Mehsana.
"The Prime Minister has always emphasised connecting the railways with all other modes," Vaishnaw said, underlining the need to link highways, railways and waterways to improve transportation.
He also flagged off India's first salt container train, which will operate between Shivlakha in Kutch and Mithapur in Gujarat. The train will use specially designed stainless steel containers to address transportation challenges associated with salt.
Vaishnaw said salt transported in conventional railway wagons often absorbed moisture and became wet by the time it reached its destination. The wagons could also weigh more than the salt being transported, while loading, unloading and handling posed additional challenges.
The new stainless steel containers have been designed for loading from the top and unloading from the side by tilting the container. Their use would also provide a better balance between the weight of the salt and the container, he said.
The minister said the new cargo terminals and salt containers reflected efforts to improve the efficiency of freight movement through better infrastructure and multimodal connectivity.
Vaishnaw also mentioned railway development works in Kutch. On the occasion, Gopalpur Railway Station was inaugurated in the presence of Gujarat Minister of State Trikam Chhanga and others.
The new station is expected to strengthen rail connectivity and passenger facilities in the region. An operational benefit will be that trains travelling to and from Ahmedabad and Bhuj will no longer require engine reversal at Gandhidham, saving operational time and making train operations smoother.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.