T’puram: The first container freight station (CFS) linked to Vizhinjam International Seaport will be launched on the land of ‘Trivandrum Spinning Mills’ in Balaramapuram on Wednesday, marking a major step toward creating a dedicated logistics ecosystem around the port.Industries minister P K Kunhalikutty will lay the foundation stone for the facility at 4pm. Developed by Kerala State Industrial Enterprises Ltd (KSIE), the CFS is expected to become fully operational by Jan 2027, with govt aiming to complete preparatory work and secure the necessary Customs approvals within the next four months.“Nearly five acres at Trivandrum Spinning Mills have been identified for the project. The site has the advantage of having an existing built-up structure of around 40,000 sq ft, which can be adapted for CFS operations. The land and building will have to be prepared for handling containers, cargo examination, storage, and other associated activities before the facility becomes operational. We are also exploring more locations near the port for the CFS as there is a high demand for more CFSs,” said general manager (CFS) MD Josemon.The CFS is being established in response to the growing requirement for a dedicated facility for handling EXIM cargo generated by Vizhinjam. With the port’s international transhipment operations expanding, Customs authorities and the logistics sector have been seeking facilities closer to the port for cargo processing and related activities.The state govt has already given in-principle approval for KSIE to establish the CFS and allied logistics facilities in association with Trivandrum Spinning Mills and Kerala Automobiles Ltd (KAL). The approval was issued by the industries department earlier this month.The Balaramapuram facility is expected to reduce the distance containers need to travel for port-related processing and provide exporters and importers with a dedicated inland logistics point closer to Vizhinjam. Earlier plans had identified the Trivandrum Spinning Mills property as the preferred location because of its proximity to the port and the availability of govt-owned land and existing infrastructure.A second facility is planned at KAL, where around five acres have been earmarked primarily for an empty-container yard. The KAL facility is proposed as the next phase of the logistics programme and is expected to initially function as a yard for storing empty containers.The two facilities are part of the state’s broader effort to develop port-linked logistics infrastructure using land held by public sector undertakings. Govt has been exploring state-owned land around Vizhinjam to create warehousing, container handling and other supporting infrastructure as the port’s EXIM operations expand.The CFS project is also expected to strengthen KSIE’s role in the state’s logistics sector. The public sector enterprise already operates the Cochin International CFS and air-cargo facilities at Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.
