Jammu, Aug 5: Northern Railway has introduced a revised freight rate structure for Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) services, making rail-based freight transport more affordable, transparent and competitive for transporters and industries.
Ro-Ro service enables trucks and other commercial vehicles loaded with goods to be driven directly onto specially designed railway wagons and offloaded at the destination, reducing transit time and improving logistics efficiency.
Under the revised policy, freight charges have been fixed at ₹1.45 per tonne-km for distances up to 750 km, reduced on a linear basis from ₹1.45 to ₹1.30 per tonne-km for distances between 750 km and 2,000 km, and ₹1.30 per tonne-km for distances beyond 2,000 km. The minimum chargeable weight will be 45 tonnes or the actual gross vehicle weight, whichever is higher, while the minimum chargeable distance has been fixed at 50 km. Applicable terminal charges and GST will continue as per existing rules.
The revised policy also removes several long-standing restrictions. Busy Season Surcharge (BSS) and Development Charge (DC) have been abolished, providing customers an estimated 20 per cent reduction in overall freight costs. The earlier requirement for mandatory round-trip bookings, committed traffic and the 5 per cent shortfall penalty has also been scrapped. One-way Ro-Ro operations have now been permitted.
According to Northern Railway, customers will benefit from significant savings. On the 241-km Bari Brahmana–Bijbehara route, freight charges have been reduced from ₹20,969.34 to ₹14,222.25, translating into a saving of ₹6,747.09 (around 32 per cent) per truck.
Officials said the new tariff structure would lower transportation costs, reduce congestion and accidents on highways, cut carbon emissions and improve logistics efficiency. The move is expected to particularly benefit Jammu and Kashmir, where road transport is frequently disrupted by landslides, traffic congestion and weather-related closures along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
The policy also enhances operational flexibility by increasing the free loading time from three to six hours and providing an additional three hours of free wharf clearance. The special haulage rate on the New Rewari–New Palanpur section of the Dedicated Freight Corridor will remain unchanged.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Division, described the revised policy as a "game changer" for the region, saying the removal of surcharges, penalties and committed traffic conditions would make rail freight significantly more competitive than road transport and provide major relief to industries, particularly during the monsoon season.
Northern Railway has invited traders, farmers and transport operators across Jammu and Kashmir to avail themselves of the revised Ro-Ro facility through the office of the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu.
Officials expressed confidence that the rationalised freight policy would boost Ro-Ro traffic, strengthen regional trade and contribute to the development of a more sustainable and efficient logistics network.