Hind Terminals (HTPL), India's first privately-owned and managed freight train service provider, under the banner of 'Hind Rail', is planning to invest Rs.600 crore in the next two years in the first phase.

Of the Rs.600 crore investment planned, the company is investing about Rs.140 crore to acquire 10 more trains by December 2007. It is also investing another Rs.400 crore over the next two years to create infrastructure facilities, in the first phase of its expansion plans envisaging around 30 port locations and ICDs.

This facility will provide an ideal transport solution to the Gujarat trade and industry in a State-Private partnership, where the state infrastructure is managed by private management expertise. HTPL is also working out plans for expansion to South India.

HTPL, which flagged off India's fourth privately owned freight train from its Sabarmati-based ICD to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal (JNPT) on 6 June 2007, is currently focusing on the Delhi NCR, Mundra and the Nhava Sheva ICDs to expand its activity across India.

The Sabarmati-JNPT train has 45 wagons and can carry 90 containers. The company is already running freight trains from Ludhiana, Kota and Dadri to JNPT, he said. Currently, the company owns and operates four rakes and would add 10 more rakes in the next six months. The company has paid Rs.50 crore as licence fee to the Indian Railways for its operations.