KOCHI: Marking a significant change to Kerala’s cargo transport, a Parcel Cargo Express Train (PCET) with Power Tillers and Power Reapers, manufactured by Kerala Agro Machinery Corporation(KAMCO), Angamali, resumed its journey from Ernakulam on Sunday morning.
The first-of-its-kind service will reach Changsari in Assam by Wednesday. The PCET special train has a round-the-clock fully loaded High Capacity Parcel Van. This is the first time that a full rake formation of KAMCO agro machineries is being dispatched in a time-tabled parcel special train.
Railways have been providing economic transport options for KAMCO agro machines since 2017. The first consignment in the partnership, carrying 28 tillers, were dispatched to Dimapur, Nagaland, on January 26, 2017. Till date, equipment has been sent to various locations in Orissa, West Bengal, Tripura and Assam through parcel units of passenger trains.
Kamco, the PSU based in Angamaly, has six production units. Of them, two are located in Athani and one each at Kalamassery, Mala, Kanjikode and Kannur. 80 per cent of Kamco’s products are transported to Eastern and North-Eastern parts of the country and 20% to southern states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The PSU has found transportation on rail quite economical, reducing cost of transportation by 44 per cent compared to other modes. The transit time has come down to less than five days from 11 to 15 days required by road. Also, the expense for repairing and repainting damages to farm machines that occurred during transit by road has also been nullified.
What are power tillers?
Power tillers are advanced machines used for cultivation, tillage, sowing etc. Power Reapers are self-propelled machines used for harvesting and windrowing.