Mangaluru: Palakkad division commenced handling of containerised cargo from newly-commissioned Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR) siding at Panambur near here from Wednesday.

It dispatched 30 loaded containers from the siding to inland container depot of the CONCOR at Whitefield, Bengaluru. CONCOR took the siding used by New Mangalore Port Trust for iron ore handling on lease for establishing the siding.

Since the siding was not in use for the last six years, these were required to be attended. CONCOR requested Palakkad division of Southern Railway to make the siding fit as a special case.

Renovations of two railway lines, construction of a minor bridge and up gradation of two-level crossings were undertaken as part of the project and completed in a record time of 15 days. The siding was commissioned for freight train operations on December 14, 2017.

Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) Ltd will shortly undertake development of container stack area at the siding that has a length of 700 meters and can handle rake with 80 numbers of 20 feet containers or 40 numbers of 40 feet containers.

The full-fledged operation of the siding is expected to commence by end of this month. NMPT chairman has supported the joint initiative of Southern Railway and CONCOR, Palakkad division authorities said.