Watch: Vaishnaw shares video of Indian Railways’ first double-stack long-haul container train

Vaishnaw shares video of double-stack long-haul container train from JNPT to Vadodara.

NEW DELHI: Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday shared a video of Indian Railways’ first 1.3-km-long double-stack container train operated on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), carrying 360 TEUs from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai to Varnama in Gujarat’s Vadodara division.Sharing the video on X, Vaishnaw wrote, “First Long Haul (1.3 km) Double Stack container train on Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. JNPT, Mumbai -> Vadodara, Gujarat.”The train departed from JNPT at 7 pm on August 21 and covered around 422 km before reaching CONCOR’s Goods Cargo Terminal (GCT) at Varnama.The long-haul formation consisted of two double-stack rakes, each carrying 45+1 loads. The leading rake was hauled by locomotive number 60311 and had a tonnage of 1,817 tonnes, while the trailing rake was hauled by locomotive number 24690 with a tonnage of 2,105 tonnes, according to a railway release.Together, the two rakes transported 360 TEUs in a single movement, demonstrating the railways’ capacity to handle larger volumes of containerised freight through long-haul operations, ANI reported.The operation is expected to speed up container evacuation from JNPT by allowing a larger volume of freight to be moved in a single train.This could reduce the number of train movements required for the same cargo volume, easing congestion at terminals and improving utilisation of railway capacity.Double-stack long-haul trains can also reduce the requirement for locomotives, container flat wagons and other rolling stock. Faster evacuation could help lower container dwell time at ports and terminals, while reducing overall freight transit time and transportation costs.The electrically hauled train also supports Indian Railways’ push for greener freight transport. By carrying cargo that might otherwise require multiple trucks, such trains can reduce dependence on diesel-powered road transport, road congestion and vehicular emissions.