Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 21: With the final leg of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) nearing completion, the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) is now focusing on securing approval for new freight corridors and expanding Gati Shakti Multimodal terminals across the country.
Speaking at the Global Heavy Haul Seminar 2025 held at Bharat Mandapam, DFCCIL Managing Director Praveen Kumar said the priority will be the East Coast Corridor from Kharagpur in West Bengal to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. “We have submitted the Detailed Project Report to the Ministry of Railways. Among the three newly proposed corridors, we are pushing for early sanction of this one,” he said.
The other proposed routes include the East-West Corridor (Kharagpur to Palghar) and the North-South Corridor (Itarsi to Vijayawada). All three corridors together are expected to require an investment of Rs 4.5 lac cr.
Kumar announced that the remaining stretch of the 1,506 km-long WDFC — from Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to JNPT, Navi Mumbai — will be operational by December. The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, stretching 1,856 km from Ludhiana to Dakuni, is already fully functional.
Highlighting the impact of these corridors, Kumar said, “Train speeds have gone up to 45-50 kmph on the DFCC network, compared to 20-25 kmph on other railway routes. With new technology, transit time has reduced by nearly 50%. Thermal power plants have even cut their inventory due to reliable coal transport via the Eastern Corridor.”
Kumar also noted that shifting freight traffic to the DFCC network has eased congestion for passenger services on conventional railway lines, improving punctuality on key zones such as NCR, NWR, and Eastern Railway.
DFCCIL currently operates around 400 freight trains daily, with potential to reach 480 once the WDFC links to JNPT. “Though we are only 4% of Indian Railways’ total network, we handle 13% of the total Gross Tonne Kilometres (GTKM),” Kumar added.
Looking ahead, DFCCIL plans to accelerate development of Gati Shakti terminals. “We have four terminals commissioned and aim to add six more this fiscal. Our Truck on Train (TOT) initiative has started transporting milk trucks from Palanpur to Rewari, diverting traffic from highways and enhancing last-mile connectivity,” said Kumar.
On the seminar’s outcomes, Kumar said global experts shared technologies in heavy haul transport, which DFCCIL will consider for improving network efficiency.