In a significant milestone for India’s logistics and infrastructure sectors, Indian Railways has announced that over 96% of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) are now operational. Spanning a combined length of 2,741 kilometers out of the total 2,843 kilometers planned, the commissioning of these corridors is poised to revolutionize freight movement across the country.

The DFCs are designed to decongest passenger rail networks, increase average freight train speeds, and reduce logistics costs, thereby boosting the nation’s multimodal logistics ecosystem.

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Dedicated Freight Corridor Snapshot

Corridor	Route	Length (km)	Commissioned (%)	Key Function
Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor	Ludhiana to Sonnagar	1,337 km	~96%+	Transports coal, steel, food grains to Eastern India
Western Dedicated Freight Corridor	JNPT (Mumbai) to Dadri (UP)	1,506 km	~96%+	Transports container cargo from ports to the hinterland

Total DFC Network: 2,843 km
Commissioned: 2,741 km (96.4%)

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Expanding National Freight Capacity

Beyond the DFCs, Indian Railways is aggressively expanding its national infrastructure through line extensions, gauge conversions, and doubling of tracks.

Key Infrastructure Data

Parameter	Details
Total Project Scope	35,966 km (new lines, doubling, gauge conversion)
Commissioned Length (till date)	12,769 km
Total Projects Sanctioned	431 projects
Types of Projects	– 154 new lines – 33 gauge conversions – 244 doubling projects
Total Estimated Investment	₹6.75 lakh crore

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Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals: Accelerating Freight Efficiency

To further enhance logistics performance and support multimodal integration, Indian Railways has introduced Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals (GCTs) under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

Parameter	Data
Operational GCTs (since Dec 2021)	Over 110 terminals
Objective	Boost terminal access, reduce first/last-mile costs
Future Outlook	Several more GCTs are under planning or construction

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Why This Matters

These transformative initiatives are aligned with India’s vision to:

• Increase railway share in overall freight movement
• Cut transportation time and logistics costs
• Support economic growth through better supply chain connectivity
• Enable faster, greener, and more cost-effective cargo movement

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Conclusion

With the near-complete rollout of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors, and continued investments in rail infrastructure and cargo terminals, India is building a robust backbone for industrial and export growth. These developments will significantly enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of Indian logistics in the global trade arena.