The rail connectivity to Orissa's Dhamra port, a joint venture between Tata Steel and Larsen & Toubro, will be the first such connectivity project in the country under the Indian Railways' New Railways' Infrastructure for Industry Initiative (R3i). The policy aims to attract private sector participation in rail connectivity projects (see our Cover Story for more details on R3i).
The Dhamra port is located 62 km away from the mainline network of the Indian Railways but the total track length will be about 120 km because of loops and sidings and various additional facilities. The port has acquired a 125 m wide corridor from Dhamra to Bhadrak that can accommodate two rail tracks and a four-lane road along with service lines. Trains will run up to Dhamra Terminal Yard (DTY) wherein handing over and taking over of rakes will take place between Indian Railways and DPCL.
Dhamra's new connectivity will operate under the “Private Line Model†rather than the Cost-Sharing, Full Contribution-Apportioned or the SPV models, the other models on offer under R3i. Under the private line model, the Railways will share a portion of the revenue (after deducting various charges) with the Dhamra Port Company. The ratio for sharing, however, is still to be firmed up.
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