Work On Eastern And Western DFCs Picks Up Pace, To Be Completed By June 2023

Picking up speed, the work in both eastern and western Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) is going ahead to complete the ambitious project by June 2023, the new target set by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation (DFCC) of India.

Till now out of total 2,840 km long DFC, 1,353 km line has been made operational in both the corridors with the expenditure of about Rs 85,000 crore including the land cost.

Barring about a stretch of 100 km in the western DFC, the entire stretch of eastern and western DFC is expected to be operational by June next year.

Exuding confidence, DFCC managing director R K Jain said "More than 90 per cent DFC work will be completed by June 23."

When told that the earlier target was June 2022, Jain said targets of June 2022 were given prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The work schedule was adversely affected by the pandemic. Then “the work was also stopped during the heavy monsoon between these periods."

The DFC project which has missed several targets in the past for various reasons is a crucial initiative of Indian Railways to increase modal share of the national transporter by attracting goods from the roads.

Assuring that June 2023 target would be met, Jain said now the work has picked up speed, all out efforts would be undertaken to complete it at a faster pace.

He further said a major portion of land has been acquired now though there are some patches in Maharashtra causing delay and we are trying to resolve it as fast as possible.

It cost about Rs 18,000 crore to acquire land for the DFC project.

Currently, about 65 freight trains are running on the fully electrified eastern DFC while 80 goods trains are being hauled by diesel and electric locos on the western DFC.

Goods like coal, foodgrains, steel and raw materials are being transported on the eastern DFC while double stack containers carrying steel and cement are moving on the western DFC.

Jain said now 47 per cent of the total DFC work is complete and the rest will be operational by June next year.