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The dedicated freight corridors in India are a network of electric [1] broad gauge freight railway lines that solely serve freight trains, thus making the freight service in India faster and efficient. [2] The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) a public sector company is responsible for undertaking planning, development, mobilisation of financial resources and construction, maintenance and operation of these corridors.
The Tenth Five Year Plan (2002–07) projected that freight traffic in India would rise from 489 million tons in 2001–02 to 624 million tons by 2006–07, growing at a rate of 5% annually. The mid-term appraisal of the Tenth Five Year Plan suggested building dedicated freight corridors (DFC) on trunk routes. The objective of the DFC was to separate freight traffic from passenger traffic on high density routes in order to improve operational efficiency, reduce cost of operation and carry higher volumes of freight traffic. [3]
In April 2005, the government proposed building DFCs along the Golden Quadrilateral. The Committee on Infrastructure established a task force in May 2005 to prepare a concept paper on the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). The Ministry of Railways appointed RITES in July 2005 to conduct a feasibility and preliminary engineering cum traffic survey for both corridors. The Government also sought support from Japan for technical cooperation to assist in assessing the feasibility of the DFCs. Japan agreed to conduct a feasibility study on the project in November 2005. [3]
RITES submitted its feasibility report on the project in January 2006. The Union Cabinet granted in-principle approval to the project the next month. The Dedicated Freight Corridors Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), a public sector company to build and operate the DFCs, was incorporated on 30 October 2006. RITES submitted the preliminary engineering cum traffic survey for the project in January 2007. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) completed a feasibility study on the project in October 2007, and subsequently agreed to provide funding for the WDFC. The Ministry of Railways approached the World Bank to provide funding for the EDFC in 2008. In May 2011, the World Bank agreed to provide funds for a 1,183 km section of the EDFC connecting Ludhiana with Mughalsarai. [3] The Union Cabinet approved both corridors in February 2008 with a target completion date of 2013. [3]
Under the Eleventh Five Year Plan of India (2007–12), the Ministry of Railways started constructing a new Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) in two long routes, namely the Eastern and Western freight corridors. [4] The two routes cover a total length of 3,260 kilometres (2,030 mi), with the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor stretching from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni in West Bengal and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor from Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai (Maharashtra) to Dadri in Uttar Pradesh. [5] Upgrading of transportation technology, increase in productivity and reduction in unit transportation cost are the focus areas for the project. [6]
The construction of Eastern Freight Corridor has been completed by February 2024. [7] [8]
As of April 2024, Eastern Freight Corridor is fully operational whereas Western Freight Corridor has 85% operational status. Overall 90% of the network is operational. 300 trains run on the lines every day. The operational rate shall reach 95% by April-end. [9]
The Detailed Project Review (DPR) of North-South and East-Coast Freight Corridor are being prepared has been submitted whereas the DPR for East-West DFC will be submitted by April-end (2024). The combined project value is expected to be Rs. 2 lakh crore. [10]
In 2007, India set a world record with the indigenously designed pantograph, developed for the use in dedicated freight corridors and other freight routes. [11] with many other added features, such as twin catenary height of 6 and 7.5 meters, auto upward-force adjustment to improve effective current collection in adverse conditions, thereby enabling reduction in energy consumption and allowing trains to run at much higher speeds. [12]
WAG-12 locomotive is a class of Indian multi-frame electric locomotive that was developed in 2017 by Alstom. With a horsepower of 12,000 hp it is one of the most powerful locomotives in the world. These locomotives are being used on the existing dedicated freight corridors. [13] WAG-9HH locomotive is a 9000 hp single-frame electric locomotive developed by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works to be used in Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). The WAG-9 series are quite similar to the WAP-7 class locomotive but features a different gear ratio, which makes it suitable for heavy freight operations. They are also the freight-dedicated three-phase AC locomotives in the country fitted with IGBT. [14]
The Western DFC will have special head-hardened (HH) 250m-long rails welded using flash butt welding machines. The axle load of the track will be 32.5t compared to the existing 25t axle load used on Indian rail tracks. [15]
As of December 2019, in the commissioned sections, a total of 4000 trains have been run. Some of the trains in the section are achieving the average speed of 99.38 kmph in EDFC and the average speed is 89.50 kmph in WDFC. [16] [17] [18] Since its inauguration, on average 150 to 200 freight trains are running daily maintaining the average speed between 75 and 80 kmph. DFCC officials say that their target is to increase the operation to 300 trains daily with an average speed of 90 kmph, previously trails have been completed on sections with 99 kmph not on entire route. [19]
Operational
Partly opened
Approved
Proposed
| Corridor | Length | Status | Start point | Termination point | Logistics hub |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | 1,337 km (831 mi) | Operational | Ludhiana | Son Nagar | Meerut |
| Western | 1,504 km (935 mi) | Partly operational | Dadri | JNPT, Nava Sheva | |
| East-West | 2,000 km (1,200 mi) | Announced in Budget 2021–22 [20] | Dankuni | Bhusawal | |
| North-South | 975 km (606 mi) | Announced in Budget 2021–22 [21] | Vijayawada | Itarsi | |
| East Coast | 1,115 km (693 mi) | Announced in Budget 2021–22 | Kharagpur | Vijayawada | |
| Southern | 892 km (554 mi) | Proposed | Madgaon | Chennai | |
| Total | 7,823 km (4,861 mi) | 2/6 |
GQFC has six DFCs; two are being implemented and the funding for the remaining four was approved in January 2018. The rail tracks linking the four largest metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, and the two diagonals of North-South Dedicated Freight Corridor (Delhi-Chennai) and East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor (Kolkata-Mumbai) are called the Golden Quadrilateral (GQFC). These carry 55% of the India Railway's freight traffic over a total 10,122 km (6,290 mi) route length. The line capacity utilisation on the existing highly saturated shared trunk routes of Howrah-Delhi on the Eastern Corridor and Mumbai-Delhi on the Western Corridor varies between 115% and 150%. The surging requirement for the power generation requiring heavy coal movement, booming infrastructure construction and growing international trade has led to the conception of the GQFCs. Carbon emission reduction from DFCs will help DFCCIL claim carbon credits. [22] [23]
The dedicated freight corridors aim to bring down the cost of freight transport (by using electricity, longer trains with more capacity can be operated, plus the western DFC utilises double stacking to transport more containers), thus helping Indian industries to become competitive in the world export market. [24] These corridors will also help India achieve the targets it has committed to in the Paris Climate Accords, by switching from diesel propelled freight trains and fossil fuel-based road traffic to the electricity based railway locomotives. India is growing in renewable energy production, with most of the country's new electricity generation capacity being added through solar, wind and nuclear sources. [25]
Goods trains on the dedicated freight corridor are running at speeds faster than Rajdhani trains, with one clocking a record 99.38 kmph. 3,077 trains ran on EDFC; the maximum speed so far was 97.85 kmph before the milestone was reached. On WDFC, the maximum speed of the 837 trains was 89.50 kmph. [17]
The new generation pantograph allows an increase in the height of the overhead wires (catenary height) from the standard 6 meters (19 ft 8+1⁄4 in) to 7.45 meters (24 ft 5+1⁄4 in), [26] setting the world record for the "high reach pantograph for highest catenary for electric locomotives". This will also enable Indian railways to introduce double-decker passenger trains in high-density suburban passenger route and RORO cargo service across the Indian railways network. The Indian passenger railway network will be able to run semi-high speed and high-speed trains in the existing network, as 70% of cargo traffic will migrate to the dedicated freight corridors. It will also increase the distance between track centers to 5.3 m (17 ft 5 in), allowing larger out-of-gauge trains. Only low platforms will be permissible.
The Eastern DFC may not be able to support RORO as it has height of 5.1 meters (16 ft 8+3⁄4 in) compared to 7.1 meters (23 ft 3+1⁄2 in) of the Western DFC. The Konkan Railway is the only railway zone in India that has streamlined the RORO service and is able to save 75 million litres of diesel fuel and related foreign exchange for the country. [27] RORO services are deployed in the East Central Railway and Northeast Frontier Railway zones along with Konkan railway, but RORO has failed to be successful in existing electrical railway infrastructure because of the height of the overhead electrical wires. [28] [29]
The Uttar Pradesh government has announced the creation of large logistic parks in Meerut and Khurja due to their proximity to the Ganga Expressway and their location on the line of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. These areas are set to become major logistical hubs, with access to key transportation networks enhancing their connectivity and facilitating efficient movement of goods. [30]
Ashok Agarwal, national president of the Indian Industries Association (IIA), mentioned during the UP Investors Summit that numerous inquiries had been received regarding land allotment along the Ganga Expressway, particularly from investors interested in the Meerut, Budaun, and adjoining areas. This surge in interest highlights the significant potential of the region for industrial development and investment. [31]
With these logistic parks, Uttar Pradesh is about to turn Meerut and Khurja into the Logistics Disneyland of India. Imagine trucks zooming through highways like they're starring in a high-speed car chase, and goods are moving faster than a race car at the Grand Prix! It's like giving the region an upgrade to "Fast and Furious" status, but with way more goods than muscle cars!
Transport in India consists of transport by land, water and air. Road transport is the primary mode of transport for most Indian citizens, and India's road transport systems are among the most heavily used in the world.
Rail transport in India consists of primarily of passenger and freight shipments along an integrated rail network. Indian Railways (IR), a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India, operates India's national railway system. It is the primary owner and operator of rail operations throughout the country including suburban rail in major metros.
Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise that is organised as a deparmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India and operates India's national railway system. As of 2023, it manages the fourth largest national railway system by size with a track length of 132,310 km (82,210 mi), running track length of 106,493 km (66,172 mi) and route length of 68,584 km (42,616 mi). As of August 2024, 96.59% of the broad-gauge network is electrified. With more than 1.2 million employees, it is the world's ninth-largest employer and India's second largest employer.
The Indian locomotive class WAG-9 is a class of 25 kV AC electric locomotives that was developed in 1995 by ABB for Indian Railways. The model name stands for broad gauge (W), AC Current (A), Goods traffic (G), 9th generation (9) locomotive. They entered service in 1996. A total of 5140 WAG-9 have been built at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), with more units being built at Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Patiala Locomotive Works (PLW). It was the most powerful freight locomotive in the Indian Railways fleet until the introduction of the WAG-12.
Indian Railways operates India's railway system and comes under the purview of the Ministry of Railways of Government of India. As of 2023, it maintains over 108,706 km (67,547 mi) of tracks and operates over 13,000 trains daily. According to the Ministry of Railways, a route capable of supporting trains operating at more than 160 km/h (100 mph) is considered as a higher speed or semi-high speed rail line.
India has a system of express trains, operated by Indian Railways which comes under the purview of the Ministry of Railways of Government of India. As of 2023, it maintains over 108,706 km (67,547 mi) of tracks, spanning across 68,584 km (42,616 mi) in route length, and operates nearly 3,000 express trains daily. According to the Ministry of Railways, express trains travel faster and have limited stops than ordinary passenger trains. Any passenger train with an average speed higher than 55 km/h (34 mph) is considered super-fast.
Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR) or Mumbai–Ahmedabad HSR is an under-construction high-speed rail line, which will connect Mumbai, the financial hub of India, with Ahmedabad, the largest city in the state of Gujarat. When completed, it will be India's first high-speed rail line, with a top speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).
Rewari Junction railway station is a major railway station of the Indian Railways serving the city of Rewari in the Indian state of Haryana. It is in the Jaipur Division of the North Western Railway zone and lies on the Delhi–Ajmer–Ahmedabad route. Six railway lines branch out from this railway station.
The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor or Western DFC is a 1,506 km long, under-construction 1,676 mm freight corridor in India. It will connect Dadri in Uttar Pradesh with the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Navi Mumbai, Raigad District, Maharashtra. The corridor is being built by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), a public-sector unit (PSU) under the Ministry of Railways and would be electrified with double-line operation. The Western DFC entails a new single-line branch from Prithla in Palwal district to Tughlakabad in Delhi, running parallel to the existing New Delhi–Faridabad–Palwal railway line.
Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor or Eastern DFC is a broad gauge freight corridor in India. The railway line runs between Ludhiana in Punjab and Dankuni in West Bengal via Meerut and Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. This railway line is one of the multiple freight corridors being constructed by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL), a public-sector unit (PSU) under the Ministry of Railways.
Khurja Junction railway station is a railway station at Khurja in Bulandshahr district on the North Central Railway network. It is an important station on the New Delhi–Aligarh–Kanpur main line.
The Indian locomotive class WAG-12B is a class of 25 kV AC electric locomotives that was developed in 2017 by Alstom with technological collaboration with Indian Railways. The model name stands for wide gauge (W), alternating current (A), goods traffic (G) locomotive-12. They entered trial service in 2019. A total of 450 WAG-12B have been built at Electric Locomotive Factory, Madhepura, Bihar, India.
The Indian Government is undertaking several initiatives to upgrade its aging railway infrastructure and enhance its quality of service. The Railway Ministry has announced plans to invest ₹5,400,000 crore to upgrade the railways by 2030. Upgrades include 100% electrification of railways, upgrading existing lines with more facilities and higher speeds, expansion of new lines, upgrading railway stations, introducing and eventually developing a large high-speed train network interconnecting major cities in different parts of India and development of various dedicated freight corridors to cut down cargo costs within the country.
Dadri railway station is a railway station serving the city of Dadri in Gautam Buddh Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh, India, on the Delhi–Aligarh–Kanpur section, around 50 km east of Delhi. Its station code in Indian Railways terminology is DER. Dadri is a wayside station at which only a few commuter trains stop. The station consists of four platforms which are not well sheltered and lack most facilities including sanitation.
The North-South Dedicated Freight Corridor or North-South DFC is a proposed freight specific railway connecting New Delhi and Chennai. The approximate length of the corridor is 2,343 km with 43 proposed stations. Ministry of Railways has assigned Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) to undertake Preliminary Engineering & Traffic Survey (PETS) for four additional corridors:
East Coast Dedicated Freight Corridor or East Coast DFC is a proposed freight specific railway in India under the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). It will be constructed by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) of Indian Railways. It is going to be a broad gauge double line-electrified corridor. This corridor will cover a total distance of 1,100 km (680 mi). This corridor will run from Kharagpur in West Bengal to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. The total cost of the project would be around ₹44,000 crore.
Rail transport in the state of Haryana, India, is conducted by five rail divisions in three zones: the North Western Railway zone, Northern Railway zone, and North Central Railway zone. The Diamond Quadrilateral high-speed rail network, Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, and Western Dedicated Freight Corridor pass through Haryana.
New Shrimadhopur DFC Station is a crossing station that was developed on Western Dedicated Freight Corridor of India. This crossing station was mainly developed for providing crossing facility to freight trains that will run on Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. This newly developed cross station was launched on first inaugural run of Western DFC Project on 15 August 2018. On this date, a partial section of the entire Western DFC project was accomplished and launched. Similar to this crossing station, there are three other crossing stations and two junction stations between Ateli to Phulera section of Western DFC project. These crossing stations are New Dabla, New Bhagega and New Pachar Malikpur. At the same time, names of junction stations are New Ateli Junction and New Phulera Junction. There are three additional tracks and two regular tracks on the new shrimadhopur DFC station. So, there is a total of five tracks on this railway station. Two are regular tracks. At the same time, three tracks are developed for providing halting facility and crossing facility to the freight trains on this route. The platform of 150 meter length has been built on this DFC station. Station master and other staff have been appointed on this railway station. Trial run for BLCS-A and BLCS-B on WDFC at New Shri Madhopur Station and Railcar Inspection have been conducted on DFC track. The video link is provided in the reference section. Indian Railways has also started Ro-Ro service between New Shrimadhopur DFC Station and New Palanpur DFC Station Ro-Ro services between New Shri Madhopur(SMPN)- New Palanpur (PNUN)-Samakhiali(SIOB) Stations over DFCCIL and Western Railway.
Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC), with target completion by 31 March 2025, is an under construction twin-track 121.7-kilometre (75.6 mi)-km long, 160 km per hour high-speed, railway project in Haryana state of India, which will run around along the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) on the western side of Delhi.
HDN 1 – Delhi Howrah Main Route via Prayagraj, Mughalsarai and Gaya: Majority of the sections of HDN 1 are operating beyond their capacity in terms of number of trains/days which is causing congestion, delay in passenger operations and enormous delay in freight operations. *Capacity Utilization of 100–150%: 81% share of the network
HDN 3 – Delhi to Mumbai via Kota, Bharatpur, Ratlam, Ahmedabad and Vadodara: HDN 3 – Delhi to Mumbai via Kota, Bharatpur, Ratlam, Ahmedabad and Vadodara *Capacity Utilization of 100–150%: 83% share of the network
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