Pankaj Malviya describes the first ever PPP project with the Indian Railways—the Pipavav Railway—connecting the privately owned Pipavav port by rail to its biggest hinterland, the North. Predictably, this route is the epitome of modern practices and profitability.
With the objective of providing a broad gauge rail link from Port of Pipavav to the rest of the country, the Union Ministry of Railways (MOR) and Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited (GPPL) entered into a MoU in January 2000 to set up an Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to provide rail connectivity to Port of Pipavav by gauge conversion of the then existing metre gauge line between Surendranagar on Ahmedabad-Rajkot section, a line of 250 km and Rajula and for constructing an additional stretch of about 20 km from Rajula to connect Port of Pipavav.
Pipavav Railway Corporation Limited (PRCL) was formed under the Companies Act, 1956 as a joint venture company. PRCL is the first company formed by MOR under the PPP model. Member (Traffic), Railway Board is the Chairman of the company and the company is managed under a Managing Director who is appointed by Board of Directors.
The gauge conversion of the rail section from Surendranagar to Rajula and new construction of line from Rajula to Port of Pipavav was started in March 2002 (signing of Construction Agreement with Western Railway). The work was completed in March 2003 with issue of Safety Certificate for freight movement, in a record period of less than a year. Commercial freight operation on the SPV line started in April 2003.
With the objective of modernisation and benefits to trade (EXIM in particular) and all stakeholders including environment, PRCL, in close coordination with Indian Railways pioneered running of Double Stack Container Trains with 8½ ft height for the first time on Indian Railways between Kanakpura ICD (Jaipur) to Port of Pipavav on 23 March 2006.
Various identified infringements are now being removed for running of Double Stack Container Trains with 9½ ft height containers. Reconstruction of Limdi road overbridge (ROB) has been planned through Western Railway with financial assistance of Gujarat Government under Assistance to States for Developing Export Infrastructure and other Allied Activities (ASIDE) scheme. Work is in progress.
Lifting of overhead transmission lines at 13 locations is being done through Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited (GETCO) and Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited with financial assistance from Gujarat Government under ASIDE scheme. A total of 44 double stack container trains (8½ ft height containers have run in 2010-11 and 64 trains were run in 2011-12.
The author is MD, Pipavav Railway Corporation Limited.
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