The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) announced on that the 27 km Ahraura-Deen Dayal Upadhyay station leg of the Eastern DFC had been commissioned, thereby establishing seamless connectivity between Sonnagar in Bihar and Sanand in Gujarat. It was stated by DFCCIL that this completion was a monumental achievement for the project, enabling enhanced efficiency, reduced transit time, and increased capacity for freight transportation. The first train on the newly commissioned section was operated on the same day. According to a statement from DFCCIL, the establishment of this connectivity would facilitate the transit of coal from the coal fields of eastern India to the power plants of northern India exclusively on the DFC route from Sonnagar to Dadri. The statement mentioned that the transportation time was expected to be halved as coal trains would completely avoid the congested routes of Indian Railways. This, in turn, would save approximately one day and reduce the turnaround time for coal transportation. The statement also highlighted one of the significant challenges faced during the project, which involved connecting the yard of Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) station. The DDU yard, which is the largest railway yard in Asia, had 490 routes, 100 points, and seven lines, acting as a major bottleneck. However, with the completion of connectivity on either side of DDU, trains could now cross the DDU Junction. The commissioning of the Dagmagpur to Bhaupur (Kanpur) route of the DFC had already provided substantial relief to the railways. The DFC took on the major load of freight trains, resulting in significant improvements in the punctuality of passenger trains with the North Central Railway. With the commissioning of the Ahraura Road to DDU section, punctuality was expected to improve even further, benefiting the East Central Railway as well. In addition to these developments, the statement mentioned that the DFC had completed an 80 km stretch from Shambhu to Sahnewal (Ludhiana). This would provide more time for the maintenance of heavily burdened railway tracks, thus enhancing the safety infrastructure of the Indian Railways. Also read: MSL Secures Rs 1 bn contract for Vande Bharat trains component supply Bengaluru Metro to Expand Tracks to Speed Up Trains