Railway Board has initiated its first steps to implement the newly announced East West Dedicated Freight Corridor (EWDFC).
The announcement of building a 2100 -km long East West DFC between Dankuni in West Bengal and Surat in Gujarat was made in this year’s Union Budget.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed officials for the time-bound execution of this important freight corridor.
The proposed EWDFC will run from Dankuni to Surat, passing through West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. This corridor will greatly improve freight movement between eastern and western India, make logistics faster and efficient, and ease congestion on existing Indian Railways routes.
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) officials have been asked to immediately formalize optimum technical standards incorporating the latest advancements in freight logistics.
Important features under consideration include high-capacity electrification systems, no level crossings (nil LCs) and advanced signalling systems such as Kavach, to ensure enhanced safety and higher throughput.
The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Dankuni-Surat corridor will be updated with the latest cost estimates and revised timelines to ensure better planning, budgeting and timely execution of the DFC.
The corridor will be divided into suitable areas to enable early and simultaneous implementation. Dedicated core teams for each area will be finalized and stationed in the field to closely monitor progress.
Railway Board has directed DFCCIL that all pre-construction activities be comprehensively identified and fast-tracked, with simultaneous initiation of preparation of contract documents to avoid delay in project rollout.
An assessment of optimum manpower requirements for the corridor is also underway. The Railway Board has called for weekly action taken reports, progress achieved and assistance required for better implementation.
