Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division on Monday began unloading a batch of baby food products manufactured by a fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) company in Delhi area at the New Mangalore Port here for onward transmission by sea to Bangladesh.
The consignment was brought through a rake of 20 parcel vans to SR’s Railway siding at Panambur on the NMP Trust premises from Delhi. Earlier too, FMCG goods were transported by sea route through NMPT that were brought on rails.
The FMCG company resorted to rail-sea routes of this method following closure of the international road borders between India and Bangladesh due to COVID-19 pandemic. The shipment would move from Mangaluru to Colombo and then to Chittagong in this arrangement.
Asked why the company chose NMPT, sources in Railways quoting the company said it was the best available option for two reasons. The first was that Kandla and Mumbai ports were too busy. The second was that container vessels from the West Coast move first to Colombo and then to Chittagong while those from the eastern coast would first move to Malaysia before calling on Chittagong. Hence, there would be speedy movement, Railways said.
The Railways would actively support this kind of arrangement in the interest of manufacturers as well as its own interest, an official said.
