**Executive Summary**
This document contains the answer from the Minister of Railways to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2952, regarding the waiver of empty container haulage charges, to be answered on 17.12.2025. It details the current incentives provided by Indian Railways to promote rail transport, particularly for perishable goods, and enhance the utilization of empty containers. Key dates include the implementation dates and durations of specific discounts and the end of FY 2025-26 for the 50% discount on Tile container movement.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **General Policies:**
* Freight charges for containers are determined by Container Train Operators (CTOs) based on market conditions.
* Indian Railways levies only haulage charges for the movement of containers.
* Concessions are provided for traffic from identified areas to various destinations for hauling empty container-laden rakes to promote rail modal share and sustainable logistics.
* **Incentives for Empty Container Movement:**
* A 50% discount on haulage rate for empty containers-laden rakes returning to Morbi clusters (originating loading cluster) after transporting Tiles traffic from destinations, implemented on 'pilot basis' up to end of FY 2025-26.
* A 50% discount on haulage rate for movement of empty specialized tank containers used for bulk cement, effective from 04.12.2025.
* A 25% discount on haulage rate for the movement of empty container-laden rakes returning to the originating loading point after transporting Chemical Gypsum on a ‘pilot basis’ for a period of one year with effect from 26.11.2025.
* **Banana Transport:**
* During the last 5 years, 24 rakes of Banana traffic in Reefer containers from Tadipatri to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) were transported.
* **Measures to Facilitate Agriculture Transportation:**
* Power has been delegated to Zonal Railways to reduce the composition of Parcel Rakes for transportation of mixed perishables up to 15 Parcel vans plus 1 SLR.
* Orange, Mango, and Banana traffic moved in BCN/BCNA/BCX/BCXN Rakes are charged at concessional Parcel Rates (Scale-P minus 50%).
* Potential circuits for perishables are identified in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Agriculture/Animal Husbandry/Fisheries Departments of State Governments, local bodies, agencies, and Mandis.
* Kisan Rail services are planned on the basis of demands placed, considering operational feasibility.
* Since 7th August 2020, approximately 2364 Kisan Rail services have transported around 7.9 Lakh tones of perishables.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Container Train Operators (CTOs)**
* **Impact:** No direct changes, as CTOs continue to determine freight charges based on market conditions.
* **Action Required:** No direct action required based on this document.
**Stakeholder: Indian Railways**
* **Impact:** Indian Railways will continue to levy only the haulage charges and provide the specified discounts.
* **Action Required:** Implementation and monitoring of the discount schemes for empty container movements.
**Stakeholder: Traders of Tiles, Chemical Gypsum, Bulk Cement, Oranges, Mangoes, Bananas, and other Perishable Goods**
* **Impact:** Reduced transportation costs via rail through discounts on haulage rates for empty container movement and concessional parcel rates.
* **Action Required:** Traders should coordinate with railway authorities to leverage the offered discounts and services.
**Stakeholder: Zonal Railways**
* **Impact:** Increased delegation of power to reduce parcel rake composition for perishable goods.
* **Action Required:** Implement delegated power to reduce parcel rake composition for perishable goods transportation.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Railways: The primary ministry responsible for the subject matter of the document: rail haulage charges and incentives.
Kisan Rail: Rail service for transporting perishables, mentioned in context of concessions.
Tadipatri: Location of agricultural cluster central to questions regarding empty container haulage charges for bananas.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2952
TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2025
WAIVER OF EMPTY CONTAINER HAULAGE CHARGES
2952. SHRI G LAKSHMINARAYANA:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) the details of all categories of cargo for which empty container
haulage charges are currently waived including the reasons for
such waiver, time period for which it has been in effect and the
financial cost to the Government, division and route-wise;
(b) the quantity of horticultural crops, specifically bananas,
transported via rail from the Tadipatri cluster to ports/other
destinations along with the number of rakes and frequency of
service;
(c) whether the possibility of waiving empty container haulage
charges for banana reefer containers returning to the Tadipatri
cluster has been considered and if so, the details thereof
including the proposed timeline for implementation;
(d) if not, the reasons for not considering such a waiver; and
(e) the measures considered/being considered to make rail transport
economically viable for perishable commodities like bananas and
to encourage their export via rail instead of road?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (e) The freight charges for transportation of commodities in
-2/---2-
containers are determined by Container Train Operators (CTOs) based
on market conditions, while Indian Railways levies only the haulage
charges for movement of containers. Further, with a view to enhancing
the rail modal share in containerized transportation and promoting an
environmentally sustainable logistics, certain concessions are provided
to traffic from identified areas or clusters to various destinations in
haulage of empty container-laden rakes. Accordingly, the following
incentives have been introduced to make rail haulage more competitive
and to facilitate faster repositioning of empty containers:
A 50% discount on haulage rate on movement of empty containers-
laden rakes returning to Morbi clusters (originating loading cluster)
after transportation of Tiles traffic from destinations, implemented on
‘pilot basis’ up to end of FY 2025-26.
A 50% discount on haulage rate of movement of empty specialized
tank containers used for Bulk cement, effective from 04.12.2025.
A 25% discount on haulage rate of movement of empty container-
laden rakes returning to the originating loading point after
transporting Chemical Gypsum on ‘pilot basis’ for a period of one year
with effect from 26.11.2025.
During last 5 years, 24 rakes of Banana traffic in Reefer containers
(Refrigerated containers) from Tadipatri to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust
(JNPT) were transported.
In order to facilitate the transportation of agriculture products, Indian
Railway has taken various measures such as:
Power has been delegated to Zonal Railways to reduce the
composition of Parcel Rakes for transportation of mixed perishables
-3/---3-
goods traffic including fruits and vegetables up to 15 Parcel vans plus
1 SLR instead of standard composition of 20 Parcel vans plus 1 SLR.
Further, Orange, Mango and Banana traffic when moved in
BCN/BCNA/BCX/BCXN Rakes are charged at concessional Parcel
Rates (Scale-P minus 50%).
Potential circuits for movement of vegetables, fruits and other
perishables are identified in consultation with Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare and Agriculture / Animal Husbandry/ Fisheries
Departments of State Governments as well as local bodies and
agencies, Mandis etc., and Kisan Rail service are planned on the basis
of demands placed taking into consideration and operational feasibility.
Since the launch of Kisan Rail services on 7th August 2020, Railways
have operated around 2364 Kisan Rail services, transporting
approximately 7.9 Lakh tones of perishables.
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