Dedicated Freight Corridors

Syllabus: Railway Infrastructure

Source: IE

Context: As India’s economy grows, dedicated freight corridors are proving instrumental in boosting the Railways’ revenue and contributing to GDP growth, with significant impacts on freight efficiency, connectivity, and infrastructure development.

What are Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs)?

DFCs are specialized railway tracks designed solely for freight transport. These corridors, utilizing double-stack container and heavy-haul trains, increase capacity and ensure faster freight transit.

Currently, two DFCs are operational:

• Eastern dedicated freight corridor (EDFC): Route: Covers approximately 1,856 km from Ludhiana (Punjab) to Dankuni (West Bengal). Key sections: Kanpur-Mughalsarai and Khurja-Bhaupur. Operations: Fully commissioned, handling nearly 200 trains daily, primarily transporting coal, steel, and agricultural products. Impact: Relieves congestion on existing tracks, improves passenger train punctuality, and boosts regional economic activities.

• Route: Covers approximately 1,856 km from Ludhiana (Punjab) to Dankuni (West Bengal).

• Key sections: Kanpur-Mughalsarai and Khurja-Bhaupur.

• Operations: Fully commissioned, handling nearly 200 trains daily, primarily transporting coal, steel, and agricultural products.

• Impact: Relieves congestion on existing tracks, improves passenger train punctuality, and boosts regional economic activities.

• Western dedicated freight corridor (WDFC): Route: Stretches about 1,504 km from Dadri (Uttar Pradesh) to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Maharashtra. Key sections: Rewari-Palanpur and Palanpur-Makarpura. Operations: 93% complete, facilitating around 125 trains per day, with full completion expected by December 2025. Impact: Enhances port connectivity, reduces transit time for goods, and significantly lowers logistics costs for exports and imports.

• Route: Stretches about 1,504 km from Dadri (Uttar Pradesh) to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Maharashtra.

• Key sections: Rewari-Palanpur and Palanpur-Makarpura.

• Operations: 93% complete, facilitating around 125 trains per day, with full completion expected by December 2025.

• Impact: Enhances port connectivity, reduces transit time for goods, and significantly lowers logistics costs for exports and imports.

Need for Dedicated Freight Corridors:

• Congestion relief: Existing railway corridors, particularly the Golden Quadrilateral, are heavily burdened with over 50% of freight traffic on only 16% of track length, causing delays and inefficiencies.

• Boost to Freight Share: Railways’ share in national freight traffic was declining; DFCs aim to elevate this to 45% by 2030, addressing the need for a more sustainable and efficient freight system.

• Economic efficiency: Faster, dedicated freight lines lower overall logistics costs, helping reduce commodity prices and fostering economic growth.

Present Status of DFCs: (Source: DFCCIL Report)

• DFCs now handle over 10% of Indian Railways’ freight.

• An average of 325 trains run on DFC tracks daily, a 60% increase from previous years.

• Since their inception, DFCs have managed over 232 billion Gross Tonne Kilometres (GTKMs) and 122 billion Net Tonne Kilometres (NTKMs), underscoring their role in enhancing rail freight capacity.

Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) Contribute to India’s GDP:

• Reduction in Logistics Costs: DFCs have reduced freight costs and transit time, lowering commodity prices by up to 0.5%, thus boosting industrial competitiveness.

• Revenue Growth for Railways: DFCs contributed 2.94% to the Indian Railways’ revenue growth between FY 2018–19 and FY 2022–23, enhancing infrastructure profitability.

• Increased Freight Capacity: Handling over 10% of Railways’ freight and reducing congestion on traditional routes allows better resource allocation and efficient goods transport.

• Boost to Export-Import Traffic: Faster transit on DFC routes, especially in the WDFC linked to major ports, supports increased trade volumes, fueling GDP growth.

• Employment and Investment: Construction and operation of DFCs have generated jobs and attracted investments, directly contributing to economic activity and growth.

• Enhanced Supply Chain Efficiency: By improving freight reliability and decongesting passenger tracks, DFCs support a smoother, faster supply chain that benefits various sectors.

Challenges to DFCs:

• Completion delays: The WDFC’s final section has an extended deadline until July 2025, impacting projected timelines and efficiencies.

• Escalating costs: Delays have raised project costs significantly, with a reported avoidable expenditure of Rs 2,690 crore, pushing total spending to Rs 94,091 crore as of March 2024.

• Loss of Intended Benefits: Delays reduce the immediate benefits of decongestion and increased capacity, impacting the Railways’ revenue potential.

Way Ahead:

• Timely completion: Fast-track the completion of ongoing DFC segments to avoid further delays and financial overruns.

• Expansion plans: Expedite development on four proposed corridors to extend DFC benefits nationwide, including the East Coast and East-West sub-corridors.

• Enhanced efficiency: Continuous investment in technology and infrastructure to ensure DFCs remain efficient and competitive in handling future freight demands.

Conclusion:

Dedicated Freight Corridors symbolize ‘Viksit Bharat’, aligning with India’s goal of modernizing infrastructure and enhancing logistics efficiency. Once fully operational, DFCs will drive economic growth, support industry, and strengthen India’s position as a logistics hub.

Insta Links:

• With reference to bio-toilets used by the Indian Railways, consider the following statements: (UPSC-2015) The decomposition of human waste in the bio toilets is initiated by a fungal inoculum. Ammonia and water vapour are the only end products in this decomposition which are released into the atmosphere.

• The decomposition of human waste in the bio toilets is initiated by a fungal inoculum.

• Ammonia and water vapour are the only end products in this decomposition which are released into the atmosphere.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: d)