NEW DELHI : The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) has completed a key 27 kilometre (km) leg of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC). This has enabled seamless connectivity of 1875 km between Sonnagar in Bihar to Ahmedabad in Gujarat. It is also estimated that coal transit time will be slashed to half.

According to Ravindra Kumar Jain, DFCCIL’s Managing Director, this paves the way for enhanced efficiency, reduced transit time, and increased capacity for freight transportation. “Around 70-80% of freight movement of the Indian Railways network on this route can now be shifted to the DFC,” he told journalists in New Delhi, adding that it will free up the routes for speedier and more punctual passenger trains to ply.

A company statement stated the first train in this crucial Chunar – Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) section of EDFC was run on Thursday. In another major milestone, DFCCIL completed an 80 Km stretch of Shambhu to Sahnewal (Ludhiana) on Wednesday. With this, 2196 km or 77.2% of the DFC has been commissioned. The entire DFC alignment, except Jawaharlal Nehru Port connectivity, is expected to be commissioned in the next one year.

 “Container movement time from Gujarat and Maharashtra ports to Northern hinterlands will reduce to less than one day. This time-saving advantage will enhance competitiveness and drive economic development across various sectors,” the statement added.