Approximately 56% of dedicated freight passages have been completed

According to the latest progress report of the major railways, up to 56% of dedicated freight corridors have been commissioned. Moreover, more than 99% of the land in the Jap and West Corridors has been acquired, said RK Jain, MD of Dedicated Freight Corridors Corporation of India (DFCCIL).

These freight corridors are important to help reduce congestion in the Indian railway community struggling with monitoring availability points. Passenger trains are given preference when compared to freight trains and that causes delays in the supply chain. Once the freight corridor is complete it will have a seamless movement of goods through ports, along with manufacturing and consumption hubs of the country.

The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) stretches 1,337 km from Ludhiana to Dankuni near Kolkata by Khurja in UP, while the 1,506 km Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) connects Dadri near Delhi to Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Navi Mumbai.

More than half of both corridors have been used so far. EDFC has covered 774 km (58 percent), while WDFC has 811 km (5 percent). Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 62 km New Palanpur and New Mahesana part of WDFC and the 13 km long new Palanpur and new Chatodar section part of WDFC. All these new connectivity links to Pipavav, Deendayal port authority (Kandla) Mundra, and other ports of Gujarat.