Sical Logistics Ltd, an integrated multimodal logistics service provider, has commenced its first container train from Haldia Road railway station in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday. The train is transporting 86 containers of copper concentrate for Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) to the latter’s factory at Khetri in Rajasthan.

Sical Multimodal and Rail Transport (SMART) Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of Sical Logistics, is offering a total logistics solution to HCL in transporting the latter’s copper concentrates/cathodes to and from their factories at Ghatsia in Jharkhand and Khetri in Rajasthan. The company will also provide last mile connectivity for the finished products of HCL from their factory at Taloja near Mumbai.

SMART is one of the concessionaries of Railways to run container trains in India. The company has obtained Category I license (Rs 50 crore) to run container trains across all sectors on the Indian Railway system,catering to both Exim and domestic traffic.

Speaking on this occasion, Ashwin C Muthiah, chairman, Sical Logistics, said: “SMART was established to offer competitive and value-added rail logistics services. With the first train flagged off we are extremely confident of our recognition as end-to-end logistics solutions provider.”

The company would invest primarily in rolling stock, containers and in developing rail linked inland container depots (ICDs). container freight stations (CFSs) and port side container terminals which will act as multimodal hubs together with efficient trucking and warehousing services for its customers, he said adding SMART proposes to develop these terminals at strategic locations to offer a network of ICDs/CFSs across the country in a ‘hub and spoke’ model.