Gujarat’s Bedi Port in Jamnagar is set to become a multi-modal hub, with increased rail connectivity and a private freight terminal for containers. The upgraded facilities will increase the port’s cargo handling capacity and in turn, might also ease traffic at Mundra, Kandla and other ports in the state.
The work on rail connectivity has already begun. Earlier this month first load of coal was dispatched through a newly laid railway line. An official statement said that the railway project was one of its kind, implemented on a Public Private Partnership model through engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts. The project is implemented by Gujarat Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (G-RIDE). According to sources, negotiations are ongoing between a few container handling logistics companies, so that the railway lines could be utilized properly.
Furthermore, sources believe that the proposed freight terminal will streamline the processes and also reduce logistics costs significantly.
The Bedi Port is the only port in Jamnagar, situated on the Southern coastline of the Gulf of Kutch. Both Mundra and Kandla ports are located on the Northern coastline.