The Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) is among the most ambitious infrastructure projects undertaken by the government in recent decades. The project, implemented by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), is aimed at easing the burden on the Indian Railways (IR) network, particularly the Golden Quadrilateral and its diagonals. These critical routes, while accounting for only 16 per cent of the railway network in terms of route kilometres (rkm), handle 52 per cent of total passenger traffic and 58 per cent of total freight traffic. At a recent Indian Infrastructure conference, Shobhit Bhatnagar, Director (Operations and Business Development), DFCCIL, spoke about the current status of the DFCs, the infrastructure developed over the years and future expansion plans. Edited excerpts…
Historically, IR has dominated the logistics sector, commanding 80 per cent market share post-Independence. However, over
time, the growing dominance of the road sector steadily eroded this share, reducing it to only around 26 per cent currently. This shift has contributed to elevated logistics costs, making the efficient movement of goods a challenge. To reverse this trend and revitalise the rail freight sector, the development of DFCs was envisioned.
Current status
While the DFC network currently constitutes only 4 per cent of the total IR network, it carries around 13 per cent of the total rail freight traffic. The Eastern DFC (EDFC), spanning 1,337 rkm from Ludhiana to Sonnagar, is fully commissioned. The corridor was originally planned to extend up to Dankuni, with the final 530 km segment to be developed through a public-private partnership. However, due to the lack of private sector interest, IR opted to fund the extension independently.
The Western DFC (WDFC) stretches 1,506 rkm from Dadri to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT). Of this, the 1,404 km section from Dadri to Vaitarna is operational, while the remaining 102 km to JNPT is expected to be commissioned by December 2025.
Transforming transport operations
One of the key advantages of the DFCs is their ability to handle higher axle loads and speeds. Freight wagons on DFC lines can carry 25 tonnes per axle, compared to 22.9 tonnes on the conventional IR network, and are designed for future upgrades to 32 tonnes per axle. The overhead equipment offers greater clearance, 5.1 metres on EDFC and 7.1 metres on WDFC, versus 4.3 metres on traditional lines. This makes WDFC suitable for double-stack container operations, significantly increasing the cargo volume per train.
Speeds have also risen significantly. While freight trains on conventional IR lines average 24-25 kmph, trains on DFC routes consistently achieve speeds of over 50 kmph, with earlier benchmarks exceeding 60 kmph before traffic volumes increased.
To ensure world-class operational capabilities, the Heavy Haul Institute (HHI) has been established in Noida, for staff training and skill development. HHI has also signed MoUs with international players such as Plasser & Theurer and Loram Rail Maintenance.
Beyond rail, the DFCs are enabling multimodal logistics solutions. One innovative initiative is the trucks-on-train service between New Palanpur and New Rewari, where trucks are loaded onto wagons and transported over 636 km in around 10 hours. This significantly reduces transit time and enhances supply chain efficiency.
Future expansion and global integration
DFCCIL is developing a robust network of 27 freight terminals along the DFC to facilitate seamless cargo movement. In total, 20 terminals are located on WDFC and 7 on EDFC. Of these, 12 terminals on WDFC and five on EDFC have already been commissioned. These terminals comprise private sidings, private freight terminals (PFTs), and Gati Shakti cargo terminals (GCTs) established under different schemes.
Under private sidings, five are operational and one is upcoming. While, for PFTs, five facilities have been commissioned. The GCTs have been developed under Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 at strategic frieght nodes. Under schedule 1, one terminal has been commissioned and six are under development. Further, under Schedule 2, four terminals have been commissioned and four are under development. In addition, the Inland Waterways Authority of India is developing a terminal near Varanasi, with planned cargo movement up to Haldia Port via the Ganges River.
Detailed project reports have been submitted for the East Coast DFC, the East-West DFC and the North-South DFC, and are under consideration by the Railway Board. Furthermore, international freight corridors such as the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor, the International North-South Transport Corridor via Iran and Russia, and the Saudi Arabia Land Bridge Project are being explored, with DFC infrastructure well-positioned to support future cross-border freight flows.
