DFCs: The backbone of India’s logistics push
The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) is now fully operational, giving India a 2,843-km freight backbone and a template for the next phase of its logistics overhaul
India's logistics push has received a significant boost with the successful operation of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) and the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC), which are key components of the PM GatiShakti project. The WDFC, stretching 1,506 km from Dadri to JNPT, and the EDFC, covering 1,337 km from Ludhiana to Sonnagar, have transformed India's logistics architecture, creating a dedicated freight rail backbone of 2,843 km.
These corridors have improved freight productivity by enabling longer, heavier, and double-stack container trains to operate, thus reducing travel time and operational conflicts. The WDFC alone has seen an average of 210 trains a day, with 88% of its capacity utilized, freeing up space for passenger and additional freight services on conventional lines.
The DFCs are expected to trigger a force multiplier effect across the value chain, leading to lower working-capital needs, better inventory-to-sales ratios, reduced road congestion, and improved port productivity. The Indian Railways have identified three additional corridors for detailed project report examination, which, if implemented, could further strengthen the country's logistics infrastructure.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
