The ambitious project of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)’s Gujarat segment is projected to be completed by March 2024, according to the officials associated with the project.

The officials also believed that since the goods trains will operate on the Western DFC, it will ease up the load on the current tracks, allowing them to upgrade the tracks at a faster pace.

Once the current tracks are upgraded and the goods trains are diverted to the DFC, the target to run the passenger trains at 160 kmph could be achieved, stated the officials.

Currently, both the passenger trains and goods trains run on the same tracks.

A Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL)’s initiative, the western DFC will connect Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal to Dadri near Delhi through its 1,506 km run. Out of that 1,297 km of work has been completed.

Delhi to Gujarat in under 12 hours

The Western DFC’s Gujarat section has already connected Sanand to Dadri near Delhi. 

The section is already operating, taking the containers from Dadri to Gujarat’s ports in under 12 hours. Before the DFC was operational, the containers took over 35 hours to reach Gujarat’s ports from Dadri.

Western DFC in Gujarat

In Gujarat, the DFC spans 565 km, out of which the work for 395 km has been completed, and 170 km of work remains to be done, projected to be completed in Mar 2024.

Recently, a trial run of a goods train was completed on the DFC’s electrified section from Gothangam, Surat to Makarpura, Vadodara. This section, connecting Vadodara, Bharuch, and Surat through 117 km, was prepared at a cost of ₹3,644 cr, according to officials.

What’s next?

Next, the 30 km run from Gothangam to Bhesan in the Surat district will be completed, which will help connect Makarpura, Vadodara to Gholvad in Maharashtra by Dec 2023.

After that, the work for Golvad to Safale will be finished by Mar 2024, connecting Sanand, Gujarat to Safale, Maharashtra, and marking the completion of work for the DFC in Gujarat.

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