Rs. 73,392 crore will be an Estimated Completion Cost of Railways' Two Dedicated Freight Corridors, Excluding Sonnagar-Dankuni Section

At present two Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) viz. Eastern Corridor (Dankuni-Ludhiana, 1839 Kms.) and the Western Corridor (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal (JNPT) to Dadri, 1499 Kms.) have been sanctioned. On Eastern DFC, construction work is in progress in Mughalsarai-Sonnagar section. Civil contract has also been awarded on 343 Kms. Khurja-Kanpur section and work has started. On Western DFC, civil contract has been awarded on 625 Kms. Rewari-Palanpur section and work has started. Construction of 25 major and important bridges between Vaitarana and Bharuch has been completed.

The estimated completion cost of construction of the two Corridors, excluding land, and excluding Sonnagar-Dankuni section, which is to be implemented through Public Private Partnership (PPP), is Rs. 73,392 crore (Eastern DFC Rs. 26,674 crore and Western DFC: Rs. 46,718 crore). The cost of land is estimated at Rs. 8067 crore (Eastern DFC Rs. 3684 crore and Western DFC-Rs. 4383 crore.)

Western DFC is being funded by loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funding is Rs. 38,772 crore, which is 77% of project cost.

World Bank is funding the 1,183 kms. Section from Ludhiana to Mughalsarai of the Eastern DFC. World Bank loan is Rs,13,625 crore which is 66% of the project cost. 122 kms Section of Mughalsarai-Sonnagar Section of Eastern DFC is funded by Gross Budgetary Support and the cost is Rs. 3679 crore. 534kms of Sonnagar-Dankuni Section of Eastern DFC is to be implemented through PPP.

The balance excluding debt is funded through Budgetary Support from the Government. Land for DFC Projects is being acquired under Railway Amendment Act (RAA) 2008. Out of 10,667 hectare of land to be acquired for the project, Award under 20F of RAA 2008 has been declared upto June 2014 is 9641 hectare of land (Western DFC: 5600 hectare and Eastern DFC: 4041 hectare).

Western DFC is targeted to be commissioned in 2018 and Eastern DFC is 2019, excluding Sonnagar-Dankuni Section.

Project implementation schedule, timelines and milestones have been drawn up and are being monitored on regular basis. For better coordination, state level coordination committees with respective State Governments have been formed to avoid delay in land acquisition and other related issues.

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