Mumbai, April 20, 2021: GatewayRail’s “Maersk Automotive Express” maiden service from its Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Gurugram to APM Terminals Pipavav was flagged off by Denmark’s Ambassador to India, H. E. Freddy Svane in a virtual flagging off ceremony. The train left from GatewayRail flagship terminal which is connected to the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. This will be an exclusive Maersk service to cater to the automotive sector in NCR by providing assured connection to the westbound MECL Service of Maersk from APM Terminals at Pipavav Port. In the return direction, GatewayRail will also provide “Ship to Rail Service” for Maersk import containers to GatewayRail’s ICDs at Gurugram, Faridabad & Ludhiana. Currently, GatewayRail has been operating four weekly dedicated Maersk import services for its ICD at Gurugram, Faridabad, Ludhiana out of which three are from APM Terminals Pipavav and one is from Mundra Port. GatewayRail also operates a weekly dedicated Maersk export service from its ICD Faridabad to APM Terminals Pipavav.
“We are quite excited that Maersk and GatewayRail are jointly launching the new “Automotive Express Service” today connecting the MECL service at Pipavav Port. GatewayRail has always been the pioneer in innovative intermodal services such as the “Ship to Rail Service” and the “Automotive Express” and is proud to be the intermodal operator of choice of Maersk India” said Mr Sachin Bhanushali, Director & CEO, Gateway Rail Freight Ltd.
The flagging off ceremony was graced by the online presence of His Excellency Ambassador Freddy Svane, Mr. Vikash Aggarwal, Managing Director – Maersk South Asia, Mr Jai Bhaskar, Head of Customer Experience – North India, Gujarat and Rajasthan, Major Jyoti Joshi Mitter, Head of Rail – South Asia, Akshyat Bhatia, Head of Intermodal Transportation – South Asia along with other members from the Maersk team. GatewayRail was represented by Mr. Samvid Gupta, Joint Managing Director, Mr Sachin Bhanushali – Director & CEO, Mr. Lalit Lahori – VP Rail Transportation, Mr Ashish Jhunjhunwala – Head ICD Faridabad, Mr Aditya Gupta – AVP EXIM Sales and Ms Samta Kamra – DGM Liner Relationship and other GatewayRail team members. The event was hosted by Mr. Rajguru Behgal – Head ICD Gurugram and Capt Ritesh Chopra, Add. GM – ICD Operations, who were physically present at the ICD Gurugram to flag off the train.
About GatewayRail:
Gateway Rail Freight Ltd (a subsidiary of Gateway Distriparks Ltd) is India’s leading private intermodal operator. It provides intermodal logistics solutions from its rail-linked Inland Container Depots (ICD) based at Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ludhiana and Viramgam and a Domestic Container Terminal (Navi Mumbai) with an overall annual handling capacity of over 6,00,000 TEU and warehousing space of over 40,000 SQM. GatewayRail has been the pioneer in the dedicated train services for imports and exports carried by all major shipping lines and major customers. These services are operated to match vessel cut-offs for exports and vessel arrival for imports. It also operates dedicated reefer train services for temperature controlled cargo in reefer containers. The company operates a fleet of 31 train sets to provide regular services between these ICDs and maritime port terminals of Nhava Sheva, Mundra and Pipavav for transportation of EXIM, Domestic and Reefer containers. The group also offers road transportation service for the first and last mile to its customers with its own fleet of over 500 trailers, in addition to owning a network of 6 container freight stations and 35 temperature controlled warehouses across India.