A.P. Moller-Maersk (Maersk) has launched a dedicated weekly reefer rail service linking Hyderabad’s pharmaceutical manufacturing cluster with Nhava Sheva Port, in collaboration with Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).
The corridor is designed to provide a more reliable, temperature-controlled and lower-emission alternative to road transport for pharmaceutical exports.
The service operates on a fixed weekly schedule, moving 40-foot refrigerated containers (reefers) from origin to port.
Each shipment includes built-in pre-trip inspection (PTI) compliance and controlled container selection, with several major pharmaceutical exporters in Hyderabad already participating, alongside further onboarding underway.
Positioned as an end-to-end cold chain solution, the Hyderabad–Nhava Sheva corridor operates under a single-window logistics model. Maersk oversees inland rail, ocean freight and real-time shipment visibility across the entire transport chain.
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The service supports key export destinations including North America’s East Coast ports such as Newark, Norfolk, Charleston and Savannah, as well as Latin America, Europe and other refrigerated cargo markets.
It also includes support services such as documentation assistance, compliance guidance, cold-chain advisory support and, where required, last-mile trucking at destination.
Thomas Theeuwes, Managing Director, Maersk South Asia, said: “India is central to Maersk’s global growth ambitions, and we are committed to building logistics infrastructure that meets the evolving needs of the Indian industry. The pharmaceutical sector demands that cargo be moved with precision, reliability, and accountability at every step of the supply chain.
“This rail service is our answer to that demand. This solution would not have been possible without the steadfast support of CONCOR, whose partnership has been instrumental in making this corridor a reality. Together, we are setting a new benchmark for pharmaceutical logistics in India.”
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The rail-based model is designed to improve consistency in shipment handling compared with road transport, which is more exposed to variability from congestion, driver fatigue and regulatory stoppages. It also enables dedicated equipment allocation and priority handling across the logistics chain.
From an environmental perspective, the modal shift is projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 3,000 tonnes annually based on current volumes, with further reductions expected as throughput scales. This supports Maersk’s wider Net Zero 2040 objectives.
Sanjay Swarup, CMD, CONCOR, stated: “CONCOR is committed to enabling the growth of the Indian industry through world-class logistics infrastructure.
“Our collaboration with Maersk on this dedicated reefer rail corridor from Hyderabad reflects the confidence in rail as a reliable and efficient mode of transport for high-value, sensitive cargo. This is a significant step in strengthening India’s pharmaceutical export competitiveness, and we look forward to scaling this model further in partnership with industry.”
For more information:
Maersk – https://www.maersk.com/
