Freight surge on DFCs exposes need for upgrading feeder networks of Indian Railways
NEW DELHI : India envisioned the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) as a revolutionary step to enhance freight transport efficiency and alleviate congestion on its overstressed railway network.
The Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) route, which connects Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Howrah along with its diagonals (Delhi-Chennai and Mumbai-Howrah), handles nearly 58 per cent of Indian Railways’ revenue-generating freight traffic.
However, with line capacity utilisation on the GQ soaring between 115 per cent and 150 per cent, the system was in dire need of a solution. The DFCs have emerged as that game-changer, steadily shifting freight traffic away from the conventional railway network.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the DFC network on 12 December 2020, hailing it as a game changer for India in the 21st century and a catalyst for rapid national development.
The DFC project is strategically aligned with the National Rail Plan, which sets a bold objective: to increase the railway’s modal share in India from the existing 28 per cent to an impressive 44 per cent by the year 2051.
Crucially, the DFC is not just a railway project; it’s a linchpin of the National Logistics Policy, aiming to reduce logistics costs from the current 15 per cent of GDP to a more sustainable 8 per cent by 2030.
Furthermore, the DFC’s capacity expansion is instrumental in realising Indian Railways’ ambitious objective of achieving a freight loading capacity of 3,000 MT by 2030.
In a recent study conducted by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia, India’s Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) are projected to boost the country’s GDP by Rs 16,000 crore.
Emergence of DFCs and Traffic Shift
The Eastern DFC spans a length of 1,337 km, while the Western DFC covers an extensive 1,506 km, creating a comprehensive network. The operationalisation of key DFC sections has accelerated the transition of freight traffic to these specialised corridors.
According to a senior official from the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFCCIL), approximately 90 per cent of freight traffic along the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) has moved to DFCs, translating to about 90 trains daily, close to the corridor’s capacity of 100 trains.
Similarly, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) has seen a 60 per cent-70 per cent shift in freight traffic.