MOSCOW : With major shipping companies suspending their operations to Russian Ports, a full container train with paper products, including newsprint, is on its way from Russia to Chennai through a multi-modal transportation.

The cargo handled by RZD Logistics (Russian Railways) left Russia a few days ago taking the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). In the first leg, the cargo took the rail mode from Russia to Bandar Abbas port in Iran through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. From the Iranian port, the cargo will move by sea to Chennai in the second leg.

The train carried 53 forty-foot containers with newsprint in 32 eighty-foot flatcars, owned by the container operator RZD Business Active, according to Russian media. This was confirmed by multiple sources in Chennai.

Quicker route

This is the second such consignment from Russia to India via the INSTC. In June last year, RZD Logistics and Nurminen Logistics sent a block train with 32 forty-foot containers from Vuosaari in Finland to Mumbai via the Bandar Abbas port. Last year, the Container Corporation of India (Concor) and RZD Logistics also signed a service agreement to transport cargo between the two countries using a single invoice. A memorandum of understanding, too, was signed to this effect.

The INSTC route, through ports in Iran and Azerbaijan, cuts the time to move goods by almost half as it will avoid the present circuitous sea route through the Suez Canal.

•    The multi-modal transport route will involve train movement through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to reach Iran’s Bandar Abbas port from where it will be take the sea route to reach Chennai.

•    The cargo handled by RZD Logistics (Russian Railways) left Russia a few days ago taking the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

•    In the first leg, the cargo took the rail mode from Russia to Bandar Abbas port in Iran through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

•    From the Iranian port, the cargo will move by sea to Chennai in the second leg.

About INSTC

•    The INSTC is a key trade corridor project, wherein India is partnering with 12 countries to establish an economic corridor.

•    7,200-km multi-mode transport (Rail, sea, Road) project to move freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

•    Aim is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali, etc.

•    Dry runs of two routes were conducted in 2014, the first was Mumbai to Baku via Bandar Abbas and the second was Mumbai to Astrakhan via Bandar Abbas, Tehran and Bandar Anzali.