The Idea is that organizations offering logistics services, will utilize the Special Freight Train Operator (SFTO) scheme to support their customers. The rakes will be privately owned by the SFTO or leased over to them for a stipulated period and are not put into IR's wagon pool. TATA steel would be running this freight to other SFTO terminals ( which are privately owned ) or non-SFTO owned private terminals subject to IR's approval.
The SFTO's will charge their customers for the railway haulage and other operational costs. In turn, IR would charge the normal freight loading charges from the SFTO. These freights will be served on a first-cum-first-serve basis and IR will ensure that the freights are...
more... not delayed beyond the stipulated time.
RDSO recently developed new, high capacity BFNSM (22.9 ton axle load) rakes to specifically cater to the SFTO ventures and operations on the DFC.