Multimodal integration is key to reducing project cost overruns. Discuss with reference to the movement of heavy industrial equipment.

Steam generators, turbines and transformers move as Over-Dimensional Cargo (ODC). In 1976, BHEL Tiruchi's 60-tonne steam generator for the Madras Atomic Power project was too wide for rail. It then waited 13 days at the factory gate for highway clearance [1]. Bottlenecks like this, caused by relying on one mode, show why linking road, rail, waterways and ports is central to keeping project costs in check.

How single-mode dependence inflates project cost

• Rail clearance limits: a load is classed as ODC if it exceeds Standard Moving Dimensions at even one point on the route. Electrified sections also need extra coordination to protect the overhead power lines [2].
• Unknown bridge capacity: in 1976 the Coleroon bridge was load-tested only on the day of the move. The unfinished Thozhudur bridge forced a detour via Perambalur [1].
• Permit delays: MoRTH brought in online, real-time ODC/OWC permits only in 2020 [3].
• Rigid ports: major ports handle ODC only in daylight [4], and port infrastructure has been built mainly for containers [5].

How multimodal integration reduces overruns

• Shared route planning: the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan puts road, rail, port and waterway projects on one map. This lets agencies check routes at the design stage instead of improvising diversions [6].
• Waterways for heavy cargo: NW-1 (Ganga) has carried power-plant ODC such as steam turbine and generator parts [7]. Cargo on National Waterways reached 145.84 MMT in FY 2024-25, and a scheme pays back up to 35% of the operating cost of a waterway trip [8].
• Lower system cost: the first official estimate puts India's logistics cost at 7.97% of GDP [9]. That national average, however, hides the very high cost of one-off heavy consignments.

Limitations

• MoRTH's online permits cover only National Highways and single-unit loads on hydraulic trailers [3]. State roads still have no advance bridge-load data.
• The last mile still depends on roads, and each transshipment (shifting cargo between modes) adds handling risk and cost.

Multimodal integration turns ODC movement into a planned part of the project rather than something worked out after the equipment is built. Three steps would help:

• states carry out bridge-load surveys linked to the national online permit portal
• ports allow ODC handling at night under proper safety rules
• route clearance becomes a required part of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) under GatiShakti

Together, these support SDG 9 (resilient infrastructure) and indigenous capital-goods manufacturing.