The Western DFC is exclusively for transporting freight at higher speeds with increased load carrying capacity. The main freight commodities include fertilizers, food grains, salt, coal, iron, steel and cement. It uses Flash Butt Weldedhead-hardened (HH) 250 m long rails with axle load capacity of 25 t on tracks and 32.5 ton bridges, compared to the existing 22.9 t to 25 t axle load used on Indian Railway tracks. The line will support freight trains reaching 1,500 m (4,900 ft) length, pulled by high-power WAG12 electric locomotives and running at speeds greater than 100 km/h (62 mph). The tracks will be entirely grade-separated and have a generous loading gauge of 3,660 mm (12 ft 1⁄8 in) width and 7,100 mm (23 ft 3+1⁄2 in) maximum height allowing for the double-stackedshipping container on flatcars to be transported, in contrast to wellcars used in other countries for double-stack rail transport.[3] This allows for single trains to have a 400-container capacity. Trains will have radio communications and GSM-based tracking – a first in the Indian railway sector.
Meerut is proposed as the largest Logistic Hub on the EDFC due to its nodal connectivity via several expressways. The Western DFC, along with the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, will be a vital backbone of the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). The Western DFC will cross the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway at 2 places in Haryana: Sancholi village (Gurgaon district) and Paroli village (Palwal district).
Jun 2013: The civil construction contract for the Rewari-Palanpur section is awarded by DFCCIL.[16]
Aug 2018: The inaugural run of a freight train is successfully conducted along the 190 km segment between the New Ateli and the New Phulera stations.[17]
Dec 2019: DFCCIL successfully tested the 306 km stretch between Kishangarh Balawas (Rewari district) and Madar (Ajmer district).[18]
Jul 2020: Testing for the 352.7 km Madar to Palanpur stretch was completed.[19]
Jan 2021:Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 306 km route from New Rewari to New Madar and flagged off the world's first flat wagon double-stacked container train from New Ateli to New Kishangarh on 7 January.[20]
Mar 2021: The 335 km long New Madar to New Palanpur section is inaugurated on 31 March.[21]
July 2021: About 60% of the Western DFC has been completed.
Aug 2021
14 Aug: DFCCIL commences Roll-on-Roll-off (Ro-Ro) service on the Western DFC. The rake consisting of flat wagons proceeded from New Rewari and arrived at New Palanpur, covering a distance of 630 km.
26 Aug: DFCCIL successfully completes a 2.75 km long and 25 m high viaduct near Sohna on the Dadri-Prithla-Rewari section.[22]
May 2022: A trial run was started on the section from New Palanpur to New Mehsana on 13 May and was finished on 25 May.[23]
Jun 2022: After the trial run, the New Palanpur-New Mehsana is inaugurated and made operational by DFCCIL, which increases the corridor's length to 720 km, from Dadri to Mehsana.[24]
Apr 2024: 93% of the route operational, with the 138 km Sanand-Makarpura and 244 km Makarpura-Gholvad sections opened, and the 110 km Gholvad-JNPT section the last one under constrcution.[25][26]
^"Completion targets on India's DFCs likely to be extended". International Railway Journal. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
^UIC – International union of railways (18 November 2015), DFCCIL – Dedicated Freight Corridors Corporation of India Limited, retrieved 1 August 2017
^ abWestern Dedicated Freight Corridor, India, Railway-technology.com.
^Railways' two big ticket projects DFC, bullet train on track despite lockdown: Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav. Economic Times, 6 June 2020.
^"World's 1st electrified double-stack container tunnel near Haryana may be operational in a year: Official". The Economic Times. 24 July 2020. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
^Das, Mamuni (3 April 2013). "Rlys' reluctance to cede control delays $1-billion World Bank loan". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
^Tandon, Shubhra (8 August 2016). "Larsen & Toubro set to win Rs 4,000 cr western dedicated freight corridor project". The Financial Express.
^ abKumar, V Rishi (5 January 2016). "Mitsui-led consortium starts work on Western Dedicated Freight Corridor Project". The Hindu Business Line.
^"PM lays foundation stone for DFC Project". Hindustan Times. 27 September 2006. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
^"Memorandum and Articles of Association" (PDF). DFCCIL. 30 October 2006.
^"CCEA Approval for the DFCs" (PDF). Parivesh (Forest Ministry Clearance), Government of India. 5 March 2008.
^"Japanese ODA Loan Agreement Signed WIth India" (PDF). JICA. 26 July 2010.
^"Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) under the Special Terms of Economic Partnership (STEP) Scheme of the Government of Japan for the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) Project". Press Information Bureau. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
^Dasgupta, Yashodhara (8 June 2013). "DFCC awards Rs 6,700 crore Rewari-Palanpur contract to Sojitz and L&T". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
^Bhargava, Yuthika (4 September 2018). "Ateli enters history on a freight train". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
^Nandi, Tamal (28 December 2019). "Indian Railways conduct speed tests for trains on dedicated freight corridor". mint. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
^"PM Modi inaugurates Rewari-Madar section of western dedicated freight corridor". The Times of India. 7 January 2021. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
^"Palanpur-Madar DFC section opened". The Times of India. 1 April 2021.
^Nag, Devanjana (26 August 2021). "DFC Project: Engineering marvel in Haryana! 2.75 km viaduct developed on Dadri-Rewari section; see features". Financialexpress. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
^"dfc: Number of trains at freight corridors to rise next year: DFC MD - The Economic Times". The Economic Times. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
^Law, Abhishek (4 April 2024). "Dedicated freight corridor: Over 90% operational, 138 km to be added by April-end". BusinessLine. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
^"PM to dedicate 4 new WDFC stations". The Times of India. 11 March 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
External linksedit
Western DFC
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) Official link for project status