Southern Railway (SR) has approved lift-on and lift-off (LOLO) operations for containers at Trichy goods yard, under the Group I goods shed, opening up new opportunities to expand containerised freight transportation in central Tamil Nadu.
The approval, effective October 9, will facilitate the transfer of containers between road vehicles and railway wagons, enabling businesses and logistics operators to leverage rail transport for containerised cargo movement.
Railway officials said the initiative is expected to diversify freight operations in the Trichy railway division beyond conventional bulk commodities and help tap the region’s growing potential for container traffic. The move is also aligned with the broader objective of promoting multimodal logistics and improving the utilisation of railway infrastructure for freight transportation.
Trichy division has emerged as the leading freight-loading division in Southern Railway. During the 2025–26 financial year, which ended in March 2026, the division recorded total freight loading of 13.2 million tonnes.
The division, which serves the Cauvery delta districts and other parts of central Tamil Nadu, has significant freight demand, particularly for fertilisers, coal and food grains. The introduction of container-handling facilities is expected to create additional opportunities for rail-based logistics and support a wider range of cargo movements.
The development comes at a crucial time as preliminary work is underway for a proposed multimodal logistics hub (MMLH), including dry-port facilities, at Trichy. The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) has floated a tender for preparing a detailed feasibility report (DFR) for the project.
Trade bodies have welcomed the railway’s decision, describing it as timely in view of the proposed logistics hub and the region’s potential to strengthen its freight connectivity. The availability of container loading and unloading facilities at the goods yard could complement the planned infrastructure and improve connectivity between industrial centres, road networks and the wider rail freight system.
With the new approval, Trichy is positioned to strengthen its role as a regional logistics centre, offering businesses an additional option for containerised cargo transportation while supporting the development of an integrated multimodal freight ecosystem in central Tamil Nadu.