The Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) is a massive railway infrastructure project undertaken by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL). It consists of two main corridors: the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), spanning a total length of approximately 2,843 km across India.a
2. What are the primary objectives of the DFC?
The primary objectives of the DFC are to enhance the transportation efficiency of freight across the major industrial and agricultural zones of India, reduce the transit times and costs, alleviate the congestion on existing networks, and improve the overall service reliability and throughput.
3. How much of the DFC is currently operational?
As of now, more than 90% of the DFC is operational. The EDFC is fully functional, while about 88% of the WDFC is in service, with plans to increase this figure to over 96% shortly.
4. What are the benefits of using the DFC?
The DFC offers significant cost savings on freight transportation, nearly 50% reduction in logistics costs for some companies. It also reduces road toll costs, saves fuel and time, and increases the speed and load capacity for freight trains compared to the traditional Indian Railways freight services.
5. Who benefits from the DFC?
Key beneficiaries include logistics companies, manufacturers, e-commerce firms, and industries that require efficient bulk transportation of goods such as automotive parts, foodgrains, iron ore, and petroleum products. The DFC also promises environmental benefits by reducing carbon dioxide emissions significantly over the next three decades.
6. What future plans exist for the DFC?
The DFCCIL plans to further collaborate with e-commerce giants like Amazon, Flipkart, and Meesho to utilize the corridor for their logistics needs, particularly leveraging the connectivity to major ports like the JNPT in Maharashtra. There is also ongoing expansion and optimization to maximize the use of the corridor.
7. How does the DFC impact environmental sustainability?
An environmental assessment predicts that the DFC could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 457 million tonnes over the next 30 years, making it a greener alternative to road transport.
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