Parliament Question: Dedicated Freight Corridor

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6170 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026 DEDICATED FREIGHT CORRIDOR 6170. SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) the current status of Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) being implemented across the country to enhance rail freight capacity and reduce congestion on passenger routes; (b) the present operational status of these corridors including the sections commissioned and the total investment involved; (c) whether freight operations on these corridors have increased significantly and the impact on logistics efficiency and reduction of transit time, if so, the details thereof; and (d) whether additional freight corridor projects proposed/under planning to further strengthen the national logistics network and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW) (a) to (d): Ministry of Railways has taken construction of two Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) viz. Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) from Ludhiana to Sonnagar (1337 Km) and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal (JNPT) to Dadri (1506 Km) at a total cost of ₹ 1,24,005 Cr. The work on EDFC has been completed and commissioned. In WDFC, 1404 RKm out of total 1506 RKm has been completed and commissioned. The balance work on WDFC from Vaitarna-JNPT section (102 Rkm) has been taken up. Page 1 of 2 §On an average more than 400 trains are operated per day on DFCs. The fully commissioned sections of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors (EDFC & WDFC) have demonstrated robust operational performance. Freight volumes have steadily increased, with higher average speeds, faster turnarounds, and enhanced reliability. The corridors are witnessing consistent growth in container, coal, and bulk cargo movement, contributing significantly to capacity augmentation in freight transportation. DFC has contributed to creating additional paths on the conventional network by diverting freight traffic to EDFC and WDFC. As a result, Railways have been able to run additional goods and coaching services over its network. The DFCs have enabled faster transit times, higher throughput, and double- stack container operations (especially on the Western DFC). These improvements have contributed to lowering overall logistics costs, improving supply chain efficiency, and enhancing competitiveness of Indian industries. A new Dedicated Freight Corridor connecting Dankuni in East to Surat in West, has been announced in the Union Budget 2026. The work of preparation/ updation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this corridor has been taken up. ***** Page 2 of 2