Dedicated freight corridor is 'jewel of Indian Railways': Vaishnaw

New Delhi: Dedicated freight corridor is a very important infrastructure project of the Indian Railways which has made a positive impact on the country’s logistics sector, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday calling it “the jewel of Indian Railways”.

Congratulating the office bearers of DFCCIL on the occasion of its 19th Foundation day, Vaishnaw said more than 350 goods trains are being operated on the corridor at present and this has improved the efficiency of logistics transportation in the country.

“The timings of cargo transportation have been reduced to half as compared to earlier. The speed of freight trains has made significant improvement. In every way, the DFC has played a crucial role to reduce the logistics cost in the country,” Vaishnaw said in a video message that was played during the celebration at Bharat Mandapam here.

Expressing hope that DFC would continue to serve the country, Vaishnaw said that a good integration has taken place in the network of the Indian Railways.

“We have to take it further so that DFC can serve the country better,” he added.

The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFCCIL) commemorated its 19th Foundation Day celebrating nearly two decades of its service and initiatives for the country’s rail freight infrastructure.

Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar, DFCCIL Managing Director Praveen Kumar and important representatives from the Railway Board, Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and other stakeholders were present on the occasion.

“DFCCIL has advanced its mission as one of Independent India’s largest infrastructure projects. The corporation has taken monumental strides toward its goal of increasing the railways’ share in India’s freight landscape, aiming to lower logistics costs from 15% to below 9% and to bolster India’s economic growth by stimulating both domestic and international trade,” said a press statement issued by DFCCIL on the occasion.

“Today, DFCCIL operates across seven states — Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra — positively impacting various industries along its routes, promoting MSME sector of India and generating jobs for the youth,” it added.

According to DFCCIL, its two major corridors — the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors — are transforming the transportation in India by linking the hinterland with the consumer centres and overseas markets.

The 1,337-km Eastern DFC connects Ludhiana in Punjab with Sonnagar in Bihar and the 1,506-km Western DFC runs from Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to the JNPT Port in Navi Mumbai.

“Both corridors boast cutting-edge rail infrastructure, managed efficiently through state-of-the-art Operation Control Centres (OCCs) in Prayagraj and Ahmedabad. In 2024, DFCCIL reached a significant milestone with over 96% of its project completed & commissioned.” the DFCCIL said.

“Moving from construction to full-scale operations, DFCCIL has already taken on over 13% of Indian Railways’ total freight load, despite covering just 4% of the rail network. The daily movement of more than 350 trains across DFCCIL’s network marks a new phase of operational excellence,” it added.