Plans afoot to turn Gujarat's Bedi Port into multi-modal hub.

Plans have been drawn to convert Gujarat's Bedi Port into a multi-modal hub with rail connectivity being put in place.

According to officials in the know, discussions are on between few container handling logistics companies to use the railway line adequately.

"Containers usually move from Jamnagar area to Mumbai or to Mundra. There has also been a demand for a private freight terminal for containers alongside the railway line. It is expected that this will reduce the logistics cost for containers," a Bedi Port official told ET.

The first load of coal was dispatched through a newly laid railway line earlier this month.

An official statement said that this was a first-of-its-kind rail connectivity implemented on a Public Private Partnership model through engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts within a short span of eight months. The project was executed by Gujarat Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (G-RIDE), the Gujarat government's joint venture with the Indian Railways.

It is expected that the rail connectivity to the Bedi Port will increase its capacity manifold, easing traffic from busy ports like Mundra and Kandla.

The Bedi Port is on Southern coastline of Gulf of Kutch while the Mundra, and Kandla ports are located on the Northern coastline. Both Mundra and Kandla are connected by railways.

ET