The Ministry of Railways in India has made substantial progress on its budget promises for the fiscal year 2021-22, particularly in the execution of Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) Projects. Focused on enhancing logistics and reducing costs for industries, these projects aim to facilitate the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
The Ministry of Railways has reported significant advancements in the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC & WDFC) projects. This article delves into the current status of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors (EDFC & WDFC) and the strides made toward their completion.
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Eastern and Western dedicated freight corridors
The total length of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors is an extensive 2,843 kilometers, excluding the Sonnagar-Dankuni section. The Eastern Corridor spans 1,337 kilometers, while the Western Corridor covers 1,506 kilometers.
The estimated cost of the project stands at Rs. 81,459 crore, with cumulative capital expenditure (CAPEX) reaching Rs. 1,09,292 crore as of November 30, 2023. Financial progress in terms of completed works has reached an impressive 90%.
Funding details
For the Eastern Corridor, Ludhiana-DDU (1,200 km) has secured World Bank funding of Rs. 14,900 crore, while the DDU – Sonnagar (137 km) section has received Rs. 4,619 crore from Indian Railways. The Sonnagar – Andal (375 km) stretch is being executed by Indian Railways with an investment of Rs. 12,334 crore. Notably, the Ludhiana to Sonnagar section of EDFC has been fully commissioned.
On the Western Corridor, the Dadri – JNPT (1,506 km) Phase-I & II project has secured funding of Rs. 38,722 crore from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
As of October 2023, a significant number of trains have been operational, contributing to the corridor’s overall progress. The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor has seen 4,686 trains covering 29,575 GTKM (Millions), while the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor has had 2,922 trains covering 18,259 GTKM. The cumulative total stands at 7,608 trains covering 47,834 GTKM, with an average speed of 44.6 kmph for EDFC and 55.5 kmph for WDFC.
Infrastructure development
The Ministry reported substantial progress in various aspects of infrastructure development. Track linking during the fiscal year 2022-23 amounted to 632 Track Kilometers (TKm), bringing the cumulative progress to 4,758 TKm.
Overhead Equipment (OHE) wiring during the same period covered 829 TKm, contributing to a cumulative progress of 3,941 TKm. Noteworthy achievements include the completion of 76% of major bridges, 84% of Road Under Bridges (RUBs), and 36% of Road Over Bridges (ROBs).
Reducing logistic costs
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to reducing logistic costs to bolster the ‘Make in India’ initiative. It is anticipated that both the Western and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridors will be commissioned by June 2022. The progress made so far reflects a concerted effort towards the timely completion of these crucial infrastructure projects, paving the way for enhanced connectivity and economic growth.