By IANS
Chennai : Integrated logistics company Sical Logistics Limited is expecting the delivery of two rail rakes in September. The rakes would cost around Rs.125 million and can carry 90 containers.
The company will operate container trains between Chennai and Delhi through a special purpose vehicle – Container Rail Company Limited.
Karthik Menon, the director of Sical Logistics Limited, said service modalities are being worked out.
The rail company has already paid the Indian Railways a licence fee of Rs.500 million to operate container trains on an all India basis. A concession agreement with the Indian Railways has already been signed. Around Rs.3.2 billion has been budgeted towards creation of infrastructure like railway sidings at inland locations, container depots and others.
According to Menon, the company will operate in the Chennai-Delhi section. The company is also studying the prospects for operating in the Nagpur-Bangalore-Tuticorin route.
Sical Logistics has, meanwhile, entered the $14 billion global dredging market through its subsidiary Norsea Offshore Pvt. Ltd.
Norsea Offshore has bought a cutter suction dredger from a Chinese company Shanghai Duo Jun Dredging Co. Ltd for $24.92 million. Now called Sical Portofino, the 2006 built dredger comes with sufficient pack of spares. The 107 metre long dredger with an average draft of 3.37 metre can dredge up to depths of 25 metres at 3000 cubic metre per hour.
The company will deploy the dredger in Chinese projects and negotiations for long-term contracts have started. Once a long-term contract is bagged, the company’s top line is expected to go up by $9.8 million per annum. Menon said the dredger is not deployed on daily assignment basis.