Indian Railways new dwarf containers have 67% more volume; could be a game-changer in capturing high-end traffic

Vamana, or the ‘dwarf’ container, is the latest of Indian Railways’ initiatives that is expected to grow into a giant, capturing high-end traffic it lost to the road sector over the years when, in the 1980s, end-to-end running of block rakes was introduced.

The Hindu mythology talks about Mahabali, the Asura, who grows too big for his boots. In a ceremony where he is giving away gifts, Lord Vishnu appears disguised as Vamana, a dwarf, and asks him three paces of land, and Mahabali agrees. Immediately, Vamana assumes the shape of a giant. With one step he covers the Earth, with another the Heaven, and for the third Mahabali offers his head, which Vamana steps on, sending him to the Patala (the Netherworld).

Similarly, the vamana, or the ‘dwarf’ container, is the latest of Indian Railways’ initiatives that is expected to grow into a giant, capturing high-end traffic it lost to the road sector over the years when, in the 1980s, end-to-end running of block rakes was introduced. While this step had reduced wagon turnaround significantly, it had also closed avenues for booking of individual wagons. Very few business entities were prepared to book an entire rake to transport products from their manufacturing plants to different destinations. On the other hand, road transport offered flexibility as well as door-to-door service of even small consignments. Later, the Container Corporation of India captured almost half the export-import cargo of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) containers, in particular between Dadri-JNPT and Dadri-Pipavav/Mundra corridors, yet domestic traffic still eluded the Railways on account of higher tariffs.

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