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Intermodalism
is rapidly gaining acceptance as an integral component of conducting
business in an increasingly competitive and interdependent global economy.
"With this trend, improvements are achieved by consolidating different
transportation system into a seamless network that utilize the comparative
advantages of different transportation modes," said the General Manager
Freight Services of KTM Bhd, Abd Radzak Abd Malek.
Radzak said KTM's participation in intermodalism should be seen through the
land feedering and land bridge services it offers to shippers for
transhipment cargo.
"Today the national railway operating company has extensive land bridge
services from various sea and dry port hubs," he said in a paper on
intermodalism and KTM's experience in landbridge services, in S Africa
recently.
KTM Bhd operates a number of landbridge services between Port Klang -
Thailand, Singapore - Thailand and Penang-Thailand.
Bangkok, Lat Krabang, Hatyai and Surat Thani are hubs identified in our
operations in Thailand and these hubs are connected with fast growing
seaports in the country and other inland hubs like Ipoh Cargo Terminal in
the central region, Prai distribution hub in the northern region, Radzak
said.
According to Radzak KTM's services are properly integrated into the
individual links of the inland transport chain and is conditional on
co-operation between short-sea shipping operators, feeder vessel operators
and inland transportation operators.
"We are forging partnerships between shippers, manufacturers, shipping
agents, port authorities, freight forwarders & customs as this is crucial
for streamlining operations, cost efficiency and quality of service of the
whole transportation chain. Cooperation of all parties concerned is
necessary to keep costs down so as to be able to remain competitive. Our
selling point of this service is cost effectiveness and the flexibility in
our train operations," stressed Radzak.
To further enhance utilization its railway network, KTMB has introduced
vessel concept in block train or landbridge operation.
"This is a transportation concept, which allows non-vessel carriers like
rail to act as vessels through connectivity within a supply chain in order
serve customers more efficiently. In fact our acquisition of 20 units of
Blue Tiger units has further strengthen our ability to carry higher capacity
and at higher speed," he noted.
The vessel concept of train operations was first introduced in KTMB to
accommodate the Landbridge Service in June 1999.
When KTMB introduced landbridge services between Port Klang and Bangkok,
shippers using the ships for the movement of goods were given and
alternative to move their goods by rail.
The vessel concept of train operations caters to the shippers needs.
"Under the vessel concept, we manage trains in a manner such that they can
be dispatched in block, just in time to meet specific shipment's
requirement. The trains are named and numbered as vessels with allotted
times of arrival and departure (ETD/ ETA)," Radzak said.
This is an innovative approach in rail and it allows customers, freight
forwarders and other operators to plan their logistics movements.
The hub and spoke concept will facilitate the process by being a
distribution center for the movement of cargo to various destinations. |
