APM Terminals (APMT) Mumbai has introduced a new value-added rail product to reposition empty containers to address congestion-related reduced equipment availability.
The new service offered by APMT Mumbai, otherwise known as Gateway Terminals India (GTI), is available for shipping lines, inland container depots (ICDs) and container freight stations (CFS).
With the number of containers moved on the roads to meet growing market demand, congestion can become a major problem and occasionally lead to reduced equipment availability due to longer turn times for empty boxes.
Girish Aggarwal, COO at APMT Mumbai, said: “We see growing demand from our diverse customer base for solutions going beyond conventional services a container terminal would normally offer.
“This includes increased focus on landside transportation, but also products ensuring better and faster equipment availability. With this new product we want to help our customers organise their logistics better, while reducing the pressure on roads and therefore also improving safety.”
Under the new setup, shipping lines and individual customers can reposition their empty inventory by rail from the container terminal to inland depots, from depots to the terminal, or even between individual depots via the terminal in a safer, faster, cost-competitive and environmentally friendly way.
In addition to reducing road congestions and turn times for empty equipment, APMT’s new solution also provides greater visibility of the location of the inventory and allows better planning of the supply chain by customers.
The new service will be launched each time based on customer needs and APMT Mumbai expects this solution to be an attractive offer to businesses located not just in the close vicinity of the terminal, but also across Maharashtra, Gujarat and the broader region.
