The Union government has sanctioned a new dedicated freight corridor (DFC) spanning 2,052 km, which will connect Dankuni in West Bengal to Surat in Gujarat, thereby establishing an East–West cargo spine.
Announced in the 2026 Budget, this corridor aims to improve connectivity between India’s eastern manufacturing center and its most active western ports. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that the DFC will pass through six states—West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat—before converging with the Western DFC near Surat.
This integration with the existing Western DFC, which connects Dadri to JNPT, will enable more efficient cargo movement to key ports such as JNPT, Mundra, and Hazira. The new corridor will include dedicated freight tracks, alleviating congestion on routes heavily used by passenger trains, enhancing transit times, and accommodating double-stack container trains.
The DFC is anticipated to reduce logistics expenses, enhance supply chain dependability, and support India’s transition from road to rail for a more sustainable transportation system.
