File photo of Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu
A goods train was today flagged off on the newly constructed 17.2-km-long Gandhidham-Tuna-Tekra port rail line, built with private participation, by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.
Constructed under the non-government route -- one of the five public-private partnership (PPP) systems of the railways, the Rs 185-crore project has been funded by Kandla Port Trust.
"The new broad gauge (BG) line will bring us more freight and revenue also", Mr Prabhu said after opening the line through video conferencing in New Delhi.
Under the non-government private line model, first/last-mile connectivity to the main railway line needs to be construed as an integral part of the main project.
He said in the coming days the export and import will increase manifold so the port connectivity will be crucial for the railways.
"All import and export will be handled through ports, so we will be able to shift cargo from roads to rail," he said.
The line is expected to carry four to five trains per day and generate Rs 500 crore revenue in a year for the railways.