Archive · 20 Sep 2026
First Kakinada Wood Pulp Rake Marks Shift From Road Rail
South Coast Railway has started carrying imported wood pulp by train instead of trucks.
The pulp had traveled by road for more than 15 years.
The first train was loaded at Kakinada and sent to Bhigwan in Maharashtra.
The journey is about 1,061 kilometres long.
Each wagon can carry about 45 to 50 tonnes of pulp.
Railways had previously charged as if each wagon carried 65.1 tonnes.
A new cheaper tariff category made trains more competitive with trucks.
The railway expects this new business to bring more cargo and money each year.
South Coast Railway shifted imported wood pulp traffic from road to rail.
The first consignment was loaded at Kakinada for Bhigwan in Maharashtra.
The 1,061-kilometre route had carried wood pulp by road for over 15 years.
Wood pulp was placed under Goods Tariff Class-110 after tariff concerns were examined.
The railway expects 1.5 lakh tonnes of annual loading and about Rs 20 crore in yearly revenue.
- Who
- South Coast Railway, the Railway Board, and industry representatives.
- What
- Imported wood pulp transportation has shifted from road to rail, with the first rake loaded at Kakinada.
- When
- The first rake was loaded on Saturday; the Railway Board included wood pulp under Class-110 in July 2026, according to one article.
- Where
- The traffic is moving from Kakinada to Bhigwan in Maharashtra, a distance of about 1,061 kilometres.
- Why
- A revised tariff reduced freight charges and made rail transport more competitive with road transport.
- Commodity
- Imported wood pulp
- Route
- Kakinada to Bhigwan, Maharashtra
- Distance
- About 1,061 kilometres
- Tariff classification
- Goods Tariff Class-110
- Wagon loadability
- About 45–50 tonnes
- Freight per rake
- Approximately Rs 40 lakh
- Expected annual loading
- Approximately 1.5 lakh tonnes
- Estimated annual revenue
- Approximately Rs 20 crore
