Iron ore cargo from Bellary to New Managalore Port via rail begins

Mangalore: In the first trial run of a goods train to New Mangalore Port on the Hassan-Mangalore railway line, the port received one rake of iron ore cargo from the Bellary region.

Sources said that a goods train brought 2,422 tonnes of iron ore fines to the port from the Bellary-Hospet region. The goods train had 40 wagons and three engines.

All steps were taken to control pollution while transporting iron ore fines.

As the wagons were filled to three-fourths of their capacity, there was no question of pollution, they said.

Earlier there was resentment among the public in Mangalore over the transportation of iron ore in lorries.

Their contention was that the overloaded iron ore lorries were damaging the roads, apart from polluting the environment.

The majority of exporters use lorries to transport iron ore fines from the Bellary-Hospet region.

Iron ore is one of the important export commodities from New Mangalore Port.

The port registered a growth of 19.51 per cent in the handling of iron ore fines during the first nine months of the current financial year.

It handled 4.30 million tonnes of iron ore fines in the first three quarters of the current fiscal as against 3.60 million tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year.

To receive full rakes, the port has upgraded the railway marshalling yard in its premises with its own funds.

Sources said that there would be increase in container traffic at the port after the formal commissioning of the Hassan-Mangalore railway line.