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Indian Railways ran a double stack long distance container train for the first time from Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai to Vadodara in Gujarat. This double stack container train was 1.3 km long. It was transported to Vadodara through the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. During this period the train covered a total distance of 422 km. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav also wrote on her

Railways said that this feat was achieved on August 21 when the double stack train covered a distance of 422 km and reached CONCOR's GCT terminal located at Varnama in Vadodara division. The train carried a total of 360 TEU containers. In this, the weight of the leading rake was 1817 tonnes and the weight of the trailing rake was 2105 tonnes. This achievement shows the ability to carry very large volumes of containerized cargo over long distance journeys.

Railways said that this operation shows the commitment of Indian Railways towards environment-friendly and sustainable freight transportation. Being an electric train, it will reduce dependence on diesel-powered road transport. To transport this much goods by road, a large number of trucks would be required. This will help in reducing total carbon emissions from diesel consumption, road congestion, vehicle exhaust and freight transportation.

What is the advantage of double-stack container train?

• Reduction in congestion at the terminal:Carrying more containers in a single train will reduce the dwell time of containers at ports and terminals. This will reduce congestion at the terminal and containers can be removed faster.

• Less need for rolling stock: Double-stack operation allows more containers to be moved at one time. This will reduce the need for locomotives and container flat wagons to handle the same amount of cargo.

• Better use of root capacity: Carrying more containers on a single train reduces the number of trains needed to move the same amount of cargo. This will lead to better utilization of available route capacity.

• Reduction in transit time: The operation of long distance container trains will speed up the process of movement and removal of containers. The total transit time of goods will be reduced.