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The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) commemorated its 19th Foundation Day with great fervour at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, marking nearly two decades of pioneering India's rail freight infrastructure.
The celebration was graced by the Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw through video conferencing, Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna, Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar, DFCCIL Managing Director Praveen Kumar, and important representatives from the Railway Board, CPSEs, and other stakeholders. DFCCIL has advanced its mission as one of independent India's largest infrastructure projects. The corporation has taken monumental strides toward its goal of increasing the railways' share in India's freight landscape, aiming to lower logistics costs from 15 per cent to below 9 per cent and to bolster India's economic growth by stimulating both domestic and international trade. DFCCIL has been operating across seven states -- Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra -- positively impacting various industries along its routes, promoting the MSME sector of India and generating jobs for the youth. DFCCIL's two major corridors, the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors are transforming transportation in India by linking the hinterland with the consumer centres and overseas markets. The 1,337-km Eastern DFC connects Ludhiana in Punjab with Sonnagar in Bihar, and the 1,506-km Western DFC runs from Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to the JNPT Port in Navi Mumbai. Both corridors boast cutting-edge rail infrastructure, managed efficiently through state-of-the-art Operation Control Centres (OCCs) in Prayagraj and Ahmedabad.In 2024, DFCCIL reached a significant milestone with over 96 per cent of its projects completed and commissioned. Moving from construction to full-scale operations, DFCCIL has already taken on over 13 per cent of Indian Railways' total freight load, despite covering just 4 per cent of the rail network. The daily movement of more than 350 trains across DFCCIL's network marks a new phase of operational excellence. In FY 2024-25, DFCCIL reported an average of 496.3 million gross tonne-kilometres per day (GTKMs) -- a growth of nearly 80 per cent over the previous year -- and transported a record 107,000 million GTKMs. The freight volume in Net Tonne Kilometers (NTKMs) also doubled, and the traffic earnings for the year are set to surpass previous records significantly. As the DFC progresses toward full operational capacity, it is poised to redefine freight transport in India, promoting sustainable & inclusive growth that strengthens the nation's economy and paves the way for an Atmanirbhar Bharat. (ANI)
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