Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd., a diversified Miniratna I PSE under Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, GOI signed an agreement with M/s GATX India Pvt. Ltd., the largest private railcar lessor in India, for leasing 3 nos. of rakes of BFNS 22.9t wagons for transportation of finished steel products of Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) over distances exceeding 1000 kms. The agreement was signed on 11th November 2024 at Balmer Lawrie Headquarters in Kolkata, in the presence of Mr. Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri, Chairman & Managing Director, Balmer Lawrie, all the Directors and Senior Officials of the Logistics Business of the Company along with Mr. Robert Clair Lyons, President and CEO, GATX Corporation, Mr. Saurabh Sood, President & MD, GATX India Pvt. Ltd. and other Senior Officials from GATX.
Balmer Lawrie forayed into transportation of cargo by rail with the signing of the agreement with SAIL, RSP on 13th September 2024. Balmer Lawrie aspires to cater to the growing market of rail logistics by serving the customer segments in the list of commodities allowed under the Liberalized Special Freight Train Operator (LSFTO) Scheme of Indian Railways. The Company was looking to lease the 3 rakes and has now awarded the contract to GATX through a public tender. This event furthers Balmer Lawrie’s significant foray into rail logistics, advancing India’s freight solutions.
“Entering into Rail Logistics is a significant business decision for Balmer Lawrie to grow its Domestic Transportation, and is a crucial milestone in our Strategic Vision of becoming a Rs 6000 crore Company by 2030. The addition of dedicated BFNS 22.9t rakes will enable Balmer Lawrie to provide more streamlined and cost-effective logistics solutions to our esteemed customer SAIL. This venture also aligns with our commitment to sustainable logistics, reducing both operational costs and carbon footprint. This will also add to the EXIM value chain of Balmer Lawrie. Also, Balmer Lawrie has plans to get into transportation of caustic soda and other bulk chemicals in future as the National Rail Plan 2030 aims to increase modal share of the Railways in freight to 45%.” stated Mr. Palchaudhuri.