The pre-stage facility at the container freight station being set up by Gateway Distriparks Kerala Limited on Vallarpadam is likely to be commissioned by February 15.
The second stage, the warehousing facility, is likely to be ready for receiving containers by August 15, industry sources said here on Monday.
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry had approved the project for setting up the container freight station on Vallarpadam island earlier this month. The Union Ministry is learnt to have informed Gateway Distriparks Limited that the CFS project had been approved subject to the ex-post facto approval by the Inter Ministerial Committee.
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The container freight station is coming up on 2.58 hectares leased out by Cochin Port Trust to the company setting up the facility at an estimated investment of Rs. 25 core. The land has been leased out for a 30-year period.
The container freight station, when completed, will have 25,000 sq. ft. area, which can house 1,000 TEUs at any point of time once the operations commence.
The container freight station will be fully computerized with electronic data interchange compatibility, this being one of the conditions for the approval of the government approval.
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There are proposals for setting up several more container freight stations with focus on the International Container Transshipment Terminal on Vallarpadam Island. Kerala State Industrial Enteprises, a government of Kerala-owned promoter of industrial units, is setting up a 1,00,000 sq. ft. facility near Kalamassery, bordering the National Highway connectivity to the ICTT. The facility will be situated 14 kms away from the container transshipment terminal.
Infrastructures Kerala Limited (Inkel), a government of Kerala promoted agency for infrastructure development, has joined hands with private partners to set up another container freight station on Vallarpadam Island.
The joint venture project will utilise nearly eight hectares leased out from Cochin Port Trust for a period of 30 years.