Rail Cargo Volume Drops Slightly at Birgunj Dry Port in First Half of Fiscal Year

Birgunj. A total of 572 railway rakes carrying goods and materials entered the Dry Port under the Birgunj Customs Office during the first six months of the current fiscal year.

According to Kamal Gyawali, Office Chief of the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Committee, Birgunj, the volume of incoming railway rakes has seen a slight decline in the current fiscal year due to the 'holdage' problem observed in the Indian railway service. Compared to the first six months of the last fiscal year, 16 fewer railway rakes brought goods and materials in the first six months of the current fiscal year.

In the first six months of the last fiscal year, goods and materials were brought in via 588 railway rakes. Goods are transported by rail to the Birgunj Dry Port from ports including Kolkata and Haldia Port in India, as well as Visakhapatnam. One railway rake can carry goods in 45 containers of 40-foot capacity, or 90 containers of 20-foot capacity.

Kamal Gyawali, Office Chief of the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Committee, Birgunj, stated that there was a decrease of 16 railway rakes in rail-based imports during the corresponding period of the current fiscal year compared to the first six months of the last fiscal year.

In the current fiscal year, goods and materials were brought in via 94 rakes in Shrawan, 90 rakes in Bhadra, 101 rakes in Asoj, 91 rakes in Kartik, 92 rakes in Mangsir, and 104 railway rakes in Poush. In the last fiscal year, goods and materials were imported via 99 railway rakes in Shrawan, 102 in Bhadra, 110 in Asoj, 79 in Kartik, 90 in Mangsir, and 108 railway rakes in Poush. Goods such as sponge iron, chemical fertilizers, gypsum, iron, and coal are primarily imported at the Dry Port.

Abhishek Mishra, 'Operation In-charge' at Pristine Valley, which operates and manages the Dry Port under the Birgunj Customs Office, stated that the problem seen in the Indian railway system two months ago is gradually subsiding.

“A few months ago, the rail service was somewhat affected due to elections and festivals in India's Bihar state,” he said, adding, “The rail service is becoming somewhat smoother now.” He claimed that it takes about eight days for a railway rake carrying cargo from Kolkata to reach Birgunj, and about 10 days from Visakhapatnam.