Ashwini Vaishnaw asks CONCOR to offer first, last-mile connectivity

NEW DELHI : Union Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw has asked the Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) to start door-to-door service, offering first as well as last-mile connectivity for freight container services.

“Increase your target of opening cargo terminals from 80 to 100,” Vaishnaw said on Friday while addressing officials on the occasion of the CONCOR’s 36th Annual Day.

CONCOR is one of the Navratna companies of the Indian Railways. As the Railway Ministry has adopted an aggressive approach towards enhancing its freight operations, Vaishnaw urged CONCOR to have a customer-centric mindset and focus on cargo aggregation as much as possible.

He asked the officials to work with a new mindset of not only handling the freight transportation section of Railways but also focusing on stuffing and de-stuffing of cargo as well. Vaishnaw said this new approach will help increase revenue generation.

“You should also have a target of Rs 18,000 crore revenue generation from the current Rs 9,000 crore,” Vaishnaw said.

He added that CONCOR should make new partners and participate in warehousing as well as a niche area of logistics.

For the last three years, Railways has been able to meet its expenses such as staff salary, pensions and energy cost, the railway minister said.

According to him, despite increase in the rail traffic, Railways’ energy cost has become stable as it has started getting the benefits of electrification.

Vaishnaw urged the CONCOR officials to focus on the company’s cost structure and minimise it wherever possible.