The collaboration will assess how Blue Dart’s pickup and delivery network could use the regional rail infrastructure to serve businesses and customers across the National Capital Region. Under the MoU, both organisations will evaluate operational requirements, parcel volumes, station facilities, service standards and commercial arrangements to determine a feasible solution.
The MoU signing brought together Pablo Ciano, CEO, DHL eCommerce; Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart; Dipanjan Banerjee, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Blue Dart; and Shalabh Goel, Managing Director, NCRTC.
The 82 km Namo Bharat corridor connects Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut. Its Sarai Kale Khan station is seamlessly connected to Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station and the inter-state bus terminal. Anand Vihar station is also connected to Anand Vihar railway station and two inter-state bus terminals.
This multi-modal connectivity makes the corridor relevant to moving shipments between established transport hubs and the businesses they serve. The proposed approach would establish an optimal link between semi-high-speed regional rail transport and Blue Dart’s existing pickup and delivery services, subject to operational feasibility and arrangements agreed upon by both organisations.
Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart Express Ltd., said, “For our customers, reliability depends on how well every part of a shipment’s journey works together. This MoU gives us the opportunity to examine how Namo Bharat’s semi-high-speed regional connectivity could be integrated with Blue Dart’s pickup and delivery capabilities. We will work with NCRTC to identify where this approach could add value for businesses while supporting our efforts to develop more sustainable logistics solutions.”
Pablo Ciano, CEO, DHL eCommerce Division, said, “India is a significant growth market for DHL eCommerce, and Blue Dart’s service quality and network are central to how we serve its customers. As businesses grow and supply chains evolve, we need to keep looking at how new-age infrastructure can strengthen that network. This collaboration with NCRTC is an opportunity to explore how the transformational regional rail connectivity could add value for customers in the National Capital Region.”
Commenting on the partnership, Shri Shalabh Goel, Managing Director, NCRTC, stated, “Namo Bharat is a strategic intervention to transform the regional connectivity across the National Capital Region and help reduce vehicular congestion and air pollution. In a short span of time, this service has gained popularity among the people and is enabling easy access to jobs, education, healthcare and affordable housing. Our collaboration with Blue Dart gives us an opportunity to explore how this new-age infrastructure could also serve the freight ecosystem with the convenience and benefit of the people at the centre.”
The collaboration forms part of Blue Dart’s continued efforts to strengthen its integrated transportation network and explore solutions that respond to evolving customer needs. The proposed initiative will examine whether Namo Bharat’s regional rail connectivity can complement existing express parcel operations, with the final approach dependent on the operational and commercial arrangements agreed upon by Blue Dart and NCRTC.
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