Infrastructure Dedicated Freight Corridors

Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) – Railway GK for RRB Exams

Definition: DFCs are high-speed, high-load exclusive rail freight lines built to de-congest the existing Indian Railways network and speed-up the movement of goods.

1. Genesis & Need

  • Vision: First proposed in 2005-06 by then-Railway Minister Mr. Lalu Prasad in Rail Budget.
  • Rationale:
    • Indian Railways carried >65 % of freight on just 40 % of its network (Golden Quadrilateral).
    • Passenger trains occupy 70 % of track time ⇒ freight trains crawl at 25 km/h average.
    • Projected freight load expected to rise from 1.2 B tonnes (2016) to 3.3 B tonnes (2030).

2. Implementing Agency

Body Details
Implementing Authority Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFCCIL)
Status Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under Ministry of Railways
Incorporated 30 Oct 2006
HQ New Delhi
Chairman & Managing Director (as on 2024) Shri Ravindra Kumar Jain

3. Two Corridors at a Glance

Parameter Eastern DFC (EDFC) Western DFC (WDFC)
Route Ludhiana (Punjab) – Dankuni (West Bengal) Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Mumbai, Maharashtra) – Tughlakabad/Dadri (UP)
Distance 1,337 km 1,506 km
States/UTs 5 (Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, WB) 4 (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP, Haryana, NCR)
Track Double line, electrified Double line, electrified
Loading 25 t axle load (upgradable 32.5 t) Same
Max Speed 100 km/h for freight 100 km/h
Rake Length 1.5 km (BCNHL, BTPN etc.) Same
Major Junctions Khurja, Mughalsarai, Durgapur Vadodara, Palanpur, Rewari, Dadri
Completion Target Dec 2023 (99 % done) Dec 2024

4. Technical Features

Feature Specification
Track 60 kg 90 UTS rails on PSC sleepers (1660/km)
Gradient 1:200 (against 1:100 on IR)
Minimum Curve 2,500 m radius (higher speeds)
Signalling ETCS Level-2 (LTE-R based) – first time in India for freight
Block Section Length 40–60 km (longest blocks)
Power 25 kV AC OHE with 7.5 m clearance for DFC-double-stack containers
Bridges 100-year design life, RCC/PSC girders
Stations 8–10 km spacing (freight sidings every 40 km)

5. Financials

  • Total Original Cost (2011 prices): ₹ 81,459 cr
  • Latest Approved Cost (2022): ₹ 1,24,000 cr
  • Funding Pattern:
    • World Bank loan – EDFC-1 (Khurja-Mughalsarai) & WDFC-1 (Rewari-Vadodara)
    • JICA loan – WDFC-2 (Vadodara-JNPT)
    • Balance through Indian Railways & DFCCIL bonds

6. Phasing & Status (June-2024)

Phase Section Length Status
EDFC-1 Ludhiana – Khurja 401 km Commissioned (2021)
EDFC-2 Khurja – Bhaupur (Kanpur) 343 km Commissioned (2022)
EDFC-3 Bhaupur – Mughalsarai 355 km Commissioned (2023)
EDFC-4 Mughalsarai – Dankuni 538 km 95 %, targeted Dec 2024
WDFC-1 Dadri – Rewari 128 km Commissioned (2021)
WDFC-2 Rewari – Vadodara 527 km Commissioned (2022)
WDFC-3 Vadodara – JNPT (Mumbai) 721 km 90 %, targeted Dec 2024

Overall Progress (June-2024): 2,800 km commissioned out of 2,843 km (~98 %)

7. Benefits

  1. Freight speed doubles – 25 km/h → 60-70 km/h average.
  2. Line capacity released – 200+ passenger trains can be added on existing routes.
  3. Logistics cost drops – ₹ 0.45 per tkkm (IR) → ₹ 0.30 tkkm (DFC) ⇒ 30 % saving.
  4. CO₂ reduction – 457 lakh tonnes over 30 yrs (World Bank estimate).
  5. Employment – 70 lakh man-days generated; 11,000 direct jobs in DFCCIL.

8. Future – Phase-II (Amrit Bharat)

Corridor Route Length Status
East-West Kolkata – Mumbai 2,178 km DPR ready
North-South Delhi – Chennai 2,174 km DPR ready
East-Coast Kharagpur – Vijayawada 1,115 km DPR ready
South-West Chennai – Goa (via Bengaluru) 1,173 km DPR stage

Total Phase-II – 6,640 km; cost ~ ₹ 3.7 lakh cr (2030 horizon)

9. Quick-Fire Numbers for MCQs

  • Total sanctioned DFC kms (Phase-I) – 2,843 km
  • Longest tunnel – 7.2 km (Pir Panjal, WDFC) – under planning
  • Longest bridge – 3.3 km (Yamuna, EDFC)
  • Longest rake permissible – 1.5 km
  • Max axle load – 32.5 t (design)
  • Steepest gradient – 1:200
  • Min curve radius – 2,500 m
  • DFCCIL equity infused – ₹ 20,000 cr (till 2023)
  • World Bank loan – $2.725 B (largest rail loan in India)
  • JICA loan – ₹ 15,000 cr

10. Frequently Asked Factual Questions

Q1. When was DFCCIL incorporated? Ans. 30 October 2006
Q2. Which two states have the longest share of WDFC? Ans. Rajasthan (574 km) & Gujarat (565 km)
Q3. What is the designed axle load of DFC? Ans. 32.5 tonnes (operating 25 t)
Q4. Which section of EDFC was first commissioned? Ans. Ludhiana – Khurja (June 2021)
Q5. Name the port connected by WDFC. Ans. Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), Navi Mumbai
Q6. What is the total number of freight sidings planned on DFC? Ans. 300 (approx. 1 every 40 km)

11. 15 MCQs – Dedicated Freight Corridors

  1. The total length of both Eastern and Western DFCs is approximately
    a) 2,400 km
    b) 2,640 km
    c) 2,843 km
    d) 3,200 km
    Ans. c

  2. DFCCIL was incorporated in which year?
    a) 2005
    b) 2006
    c) 2008
    d) 2010
    Ans. b

  3. Which of the following is NOT a state traversed by Eastern DFC?
    a) Punjab
    b) Haryana
    c) Rajasthan
    d) Jharkhand
    Ans. c

  4. The maximum permissible axle load on DFC is
    a) 22.5 t
    b) 25 t
    c) 30 t
    d) 32.5 t
    Ans. d

  5. Which signalling system is being deployed on DFC?
    a) ETCS Level-1
    b) ETCS Level-2 with LTE-R
    c) Automatic Block with Token
    d) Conventional ABS
    Ans. b

  6. The World Bank is funding primarily which section?
    a) Khurja-Mughalsarai & Rewari-Vadodara
    b) Dadri-JNPT
    c) Ludhiana-Dadri
    d) Dankuni-Mughalsarai
    Ans. a

  7. The designed speed of freight trains on DFC is
    a) 75 km/h
    b) 100 km/h
    c) 120 km/h
    d) 160 km/h
    Ans. b

  8. Which port is the western terminus of WDFC?
    a) Kandla
    b) Mumbai Port
    c) JNPT
    d) Marmagao
    Ans. c

  9. The steepest gradient adopted on DFC is
    a) 1:100
    b) 1:150
    c) 1:200
    d) 1:250
    Ans. c

  10. The longest bridge on DFC is built over which river?
    a) Ganga
    b) Yamuna
    c) Narmada
    d) Tapti
    Ans. b

  11. DFCCIL falls under which ministry?
    a) Ministry of Road Transport
    b) Ministry of Ports
    c) Ministry of Railways
    d) NITI Aayog
    Ans. c

  12. The proposed Phase-II DFC network totals about
    a) 4,000 km
    b) 5,500 km
    c) 6,640 km
    d) 8,000 km
    Ans. c

  13. Which of the following is a dedicated freight junction on EDFC?
    a) New Delhi
    b) Mughalsarai (Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay)
    c) Howrah
    d) Sealdah
    Ans. b

  14. The average freight train speed on Indian Railways (pre-DFC) was about
    a) 15 km/h
    b) 24 km/h
    c) 35 km/h
    d) 45 km/h
    Ans. b

  15. The headquarters of DFCCIL is located at
    a) Mumbai
    b) Kolkata
    c) New Delhi
    d) Chennai
    Ans. c

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