The ministry of railways reportedly plans to offer 200 more Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals (GCTs) to corporate houses and freight operators for their rail-based supply chains, buoyed by the response received.
The 200 terminals may require around Rs 12,000 to Rs 14,000 crore private investment, the Business Standard has reported.
Moneycontrol couldn't independently verify the report.
In the 2022-23 Union Budget, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Centre planned to set up 100 GCTs in three years.
"The response to these first 100 GCTs has been impressive, and shows that there is appetite in the private sector – both freight operators and manufacturers – to invest in rail transit infrastructure. As soon as the first 100 GCTs are bid out, we have plans to establish 200 more terminals in the coming years," the Business Standard quoted an official as saying.
As many as 77 GCTs have, so far, been commissioned with an investment of Rs 5,400 crore from operators at an average cost of Rs69 crore per terminal.
Railways received 129 applications from state-owned companies and private players in December 2022. The Adani group, the JSW group, Nayara Energy, Container Corporation of India, and Indian Oil were among those operating these terminals, the report said.
With increasing number of GCTs, the Centre is looking to build its freight basket in the miscellaneous goods segment.
As per railways estimates, every new GCT can increase rail freight volumes by a million tonne (mt) per annum, which translates into an additional Rs 100 crore for the railways.
Also Read | PM Modi virtually inaugurates Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal project of Ramco Cements
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