The Dankuni-Surat DFC will link the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC). (Image: Ministry of Railways)
Dankuni-Surat Dedicated Freight Corridor: A parliamentary panel has called for the timely execution of the Dankuni-Surat Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC). The 2,052-km-long corridor was announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 to improve freight movement and logistics efficiency. The new DFC will connect six states: West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
In its report on Demands for Grants 2026-27, the Standing Committee on Railways said that the proposed DFC corridor is a strategically significant expansion of the freight network and its timely execution along with cost control will ensure both economic and operational benefits.
“The Committee view that announcement of the Dankuni-Surat Dedicated Freight Corridor in Budget, 2026 represents a strategically significant expansion of the freight network and its timely execution and cost control will ensure economic and operational benefits, including decongestion of conventional routes and improved freight efficiency,” it said.
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Dankuni-Surat Freight Corridor project
The committee also recommended the national transporter to prioritise the integration of freight corridors with industrial corridors, ports and multimodal logistics facilities to maximise efficiency and ensure long-term financial sustainability. It further suggested scaling up the Joint Parcel Product-Rapid Cargo Service (JPP-RCS) on high-demand routes.
It also urged the Ministry to strengthen partnerships with other logistics aggregators on similar lines to enhance connectivity and augment asset utilisation.
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Dankuni-Surat Dedicated Freight Corridor route
The Dankuni-Surat DFC will link the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC). The EDFC starts from Sahnewal near Ludhiana in Punjab and passes through Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand to terminate at Dankuni in West Bengal.
On the other hand, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) connects Dadri in Uttar Pradesh (UP) to Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Mumbai. It passes through UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
