KOCHI: Opening up new opportunities, the much-awaited Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal is expected to be commissioned on February 11. A top official in the shipping ministry said that the date would be officially announced in a couple of days.
“Tentatively, the date is fixed for February 11, as per the convenience of the Prime Minister. The date is almost fixed,” said K Mohandas, secretary, Union Ministry of Shipping.
Union Minister of Shipping G K Vasan, who visited the terminal in December, had said that it would be commissioned by mid-February. The connectivity projects for the terminal and the railway line that connects the terminal to Edappally have been completed. The Railway has successfully conducted the trial runs. In the case of the four-lane national highway, two lanes have been completed and work on the remaining portion is going on.
The terminal is designed to be the largest in India and the first in the country to operate in a Special Economic Zone. The new terminal is intended to make Kochi a hub in the shipping world, reducing India’s dependency on foreign ports to handle transshipment. Once fully developed, the ICTT will be the largest existing or planned individual terminal in India.
In the first phase, the terminal will have a quay length of 600 m and a draft of 14.5 m alongside. The ICTT facilities and processes have been designed to service the largest ships afloat today and will be operational throughout the year with round the clock port pilotage.
ICTT will have two rail sidings capable of handling 12 trains per day. The development of Vallarpadam has seen a flurry of activity in the establishment of allied enterprises like container freight stations, empty container parks, logistics parks and warehouses.
Cochin Port already serves as the gateway to the vast industrial and agricultural produce markets of Southern and Western India. Improved road and rail connectivity have substantially reduced the transit time and logistics cost, making Cochin Port a preferred gateway for export and import to and from the hinterland.
Meanwhile, the Cochin Port authorities have started preparations for the inaugural function. “The SPG officials have visited the location,” the authorities said.
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