"CWC strengthens the Konkan Railway network with the launch of integrated, end-to-end logistics solutions in Mangaluru."

The Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) plans to offer end-to-end integrated logistics solutions by leveraging its extensive warehousing network and presence in the rail transportation sector, according to its Managing Director Santosh Sinha.

The sidelines of the launch of CWC’s container freight train from Mangaluru to Morbi in Gujarat on January 22, Mr. Sinha said the corporation’s ownership of warehouses gives it a competitive advantage over other container freight train operators. The train is transporting polypropylene produced by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL).

With 741 warehouses spread across the country, CWC will provide integrated services ranging from stuffing consignments into containers to unpacking and delivering them to customers, he said.

The launch of the freight train from Mangaluru marks a significant step in CWC’s expansion into integrated logistics, showcasing its capability to handle end-to-end multimodal transportation along with inventory management as a single-window supply chain service provider, Mr. Sinha added.

To enhance capacity and reduce costs, CWC also plans to use containers as temporary warehouses. This would eliminate expenses related to unloading, transportation to conventional warehouses, and re-loading of consignments. “This is more cost-effective compared to conventional warehousing,” Mr. Sinha said.

CWC Director (Marketing and Corporate Planning) Samuel Praveen Kumar said the corporation’s pan-India Container Train Operator licence allows it to operate container freight trains anywhere in the country. As part of its expansion plans, CWC is acquiring additional rakes.

The corporation currently owns 10 BLSS rakes (spine cars), with three more in the pipeline. It also operates 10 rakes on lease and expects to lease four more shortly. Once inducted, CWC will have a total of 27 BLSS rakes, each capable of transporting 98 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) containers.

Mr. Kumar said the movement of MRPL’s consignment to Morbi marked CWC’s first entry into the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited network and its initial operations in this part of Karnataka. CWC has rail-side warehouses at Thokur, Udupi and Verna in Goa, with another facility planned at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, which would further strengthen its logistics infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Director (Finance) Niraj Priyadarshi said the corporation is aggressively digitising its warehouses. Nearly 217 foodgrain warehouses have already been digitised, while the process is underway for the remaining 500-odd warehouses, he added.