India may become the third country in the world, after the United States and Mexico, to have double-stack container trains plying on its rail tracks with the railways considering introduction of such trains on the non-electrified routes connecting the ports with the hinterland.

The Canadian government has already offered financial and technical assistance through its funding agency, EDC, for a feasibility study of the project.

Senior government officials told Business Standard that CANAC, an agency of the Canadian Railways, has been invited to conduct the study. The study will cover the routes between Pipavava, Kandla and Mundra ports and Gurgaon, which are currently not electrified.

"Double-stack container trains can ply only on non-electrified routes as their height would interfere with the traction on electrified segments. These trains would also necessitate some modifications on road-over-bridges," an official said.

Double-stack trains would reduce the cost of transportation and the waiting time for containers to be evacuated from ports by 30-35 per cent. Port authorities told Business Standard that this would translate into substantial savings for exporters and importers in inland transport costs which are over 30 per cent of the total end-to-end costs between foreign ports and production points in India.

"If these trains are deemed suitable for induction in India, they could run on stretches like Delhi-Rewari-Ahmedabad which are currently non-electrified," an official said.

If double-stack container trains are introduced, the ports of Pipavava and Kandla would be able to offer faster transit at 40 per cent less cost to the customers.

"Pipavava port is planning to handle over one million containers per annum over the next 2-3 years and plans to attract direct calls from large container vessels avoiding transshipment of containers from hub ports in the neighbouring ports in the Middle East. This is again likely to provide savings in ocean freight by avoiding transshipment of containers originating and terminating in India", a port official said.