Railway Minister of India Suresh Prabhu inaugurated Gandhidham-Tuna Tekra private railway line that connects the dry bulk cargo terminal at Tuna Tekra near Kandla port with the railway network of the country.
This is second non-government railway line in Gujarat after one connecting Pipapav port in Amreli.
The 17.55 km-long broad gauge railway line is a private rail and has been constructed at the cost of Rs185 crore (USD 29 million). Kandla Port Trust (KPT) which manages Kandla port and Adani Port and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) of Adani Group have funded the railway project. Construction of the new line started in May 2014 and it was completed within a year.
KPT and APSEZ has built a dry cargo terminal off Tuna Tekra on public private partnership. The KPT has awarded the project to APSEZ on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis for a period of 30 years. Adani Kandla Bulk Terminal Private Limited (AKBTPL), a subsidiary of APSEZ has built the cargo terminal at the cost of approximately Rs1,200 crore (USD 189 million) while KPT has also spent around Rs200 crore (USD 31.5 million) for one-time dredging at the terminal.
“The railway line is a significant step towards development of Tuna and dry cargo station. The Tuna port was connected by road but now it has got rail connectivity as well,” Mukesh Balani, traffic manager of KPT said.
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