BS EDIT: Beyond the tracks

By Business StandardPublished On Sep 16, 2026

A Milestone for Freight

The Western and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridors now create a 2,843-km dedicated network, strengthening India’s effort to build a more efficient logistics system

Speeding Up Cargo

Dedicated freight corridors have sharply cut travel time. Journeys that can take around 30 hours by truck can take just 10-12 hours on the DFC

A Greener Shift

Moving more freight from road to rail can reduce congestion, fuel use and emissions. The government estimates the shift since 2014 has avoided 143.3 million tonnes of CO₂

Utilisation Is Rising

The corridors already carry 435-440 trains daily against a combined capacity of about 480. Strong utilisation makes the next challenge one of efficiency

Gains Are Being Diluted

Potential cost savings of 25% from faster, double-stacked freight are currently estimated at only 6-7%, held back by operational and terminal bottlenecks

Fix the Whole Chain

The focus must move beyond the tracks to terminals, ports and feeder routes. Seamless multimodal connectivity is essential to unlock the corridors’ full economic value