The Indian Railways was anticipated to achieve its goal of acquiring 100 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals (GCT) ahead of schedule, as per officials familiar with the progress. They mentioned that 60 terminals under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode were already operational, and the remaining 40 were expected to be in place by the end of the current fiscal year.
It was noted that these terminals were utilized for managing bulk cargo by corporations having connections with Indian Railways. The GCT functioned for commercial purposes excluding passenger services, predominantly for freight. They were established under a fresh policy aimed at monetizing unused railway land.
The target for Gati Shakti Terminals would be increased to 200 once 100 terminals became operational.
The government had aimed to establish 100 Gati Shakti Terminals in the Union Budget 2022-23, with plans for their implementation over five years.
Such objectives were aligned with efforts to promote the containerisation of domestic cargo, facilitating more movement via railways. An investment of Rs 53.74 billion had been allocated for the establishment of the operational Gati Shakti cargo terminals.
