Railways Expands Freight Corridors and Boosts Freight Capacity

21 Mar 2025 CW Team

The DFC initiative has significantly improved freight transport, increasing the number of daily trains from 247 in 2023-24 to 371 in February 2025, enhancing efficiency and reducing logistics costs. The increased freight capacity has also improved railway earnings.

To modernise infrastructure, the Railways has implemented various initiatives, including the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK), which has been extended beyond 2021-22 with a Rs 450 billion budgetary support. Significant upgrades include interlocking systems at 6,623 stations, advanced signaling, level crossing interlocking, and the deployment of Kavach, India’s indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. Rolling stock modernization includes acquiring high-powered locomotives and designing higher-capacity wagons for improved efficiency.

The introduction of Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals (GCTs) has also strengthened freight handling, with 97 terminals commissioned and 277 proposals approved. These terminals, equipped with mechanised loading/unloading, have enhanced cargo movement.

The Ministry remains committed to infrastructure expansion, modernisation, and freight capacity enhancement to boost operational efficiency and support India’s growing logistics needs.

(PIB)

The Ministry of Railways has made significant progress in infrastructure development, with 96.4% of the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) commissioned. The Eastern DFC (Ludhiana to Sonnagar, 1,337 km) and the Western DFC (JNPT to Dadri, 1,506 km) are now largely operational, with the remaining sections under development. Additionally, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are being examined for three new DFCs: East-Coast (Kharagpur to Vijayawada), East-West (Palghar-Bhusawal-Nagpur-Kharagpur-Dankuni), and North-South (Vijayawada-Nagpur-Itarsi). The final approval for these projects will depend on factors like feasibility, viability, and funding.The DFC initiative has significantly improved freight transport, increasing the number of daily trains from 247 in 2023-24 to 371 in February 2025, enhancing efficiency and reducing logistics costs. The increased freight capacity has also improved railway earnings.To modernise infrastructure, the Railways has implemented various initiatives, including the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK), which has been extended beyond 2021-22 with a Rs 450 billion budgetary support. Significant upgrades include interlocking systems at 6,623 stations, advanced signaling, level crossing interlocking, and the deployment of Kavach, India’s indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. Rolling stock modernization includes acquiring high-powered locomotives and designing higher-capacity wagons for improved efficiency.The introduction of Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals (GCTs) has also strengthened freight handling, with 97 terminals commissioned and 277 proposals approved. These terminals, equipped with mechanised loading/unloading, have enhanced cargo movement.The Ministry remains committed to infrastructure expansion, modernisation, and freight capacity enhancement to boost operational efficiency and support India’s growing logistics needs.(PIB)

Real Estate

02 Apr 2026

Indian real estate attracts USD 1.4 bn institutional investments in Q1 2026: Vestian

Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector touched USD 1.4 billion in Q1 2026, marking the highest first-quarter inflow since 2022, according to Vestian. While investments fell 62 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to an exceptionally high base in the previous quarter, they rose 74 per cent compared to the same period last year, reflecting sustained investor confidence despite rising geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges.Commercial real estate remained the key driver of investment activity during the quarter, accounting for 80 per cent of total inflows, sharply higher than 38 p..

Infrastructure Transport

02 Apr 2026

VECV crosses 1 lakh annual vehicle sales milestone in FY26

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, has surpassed the 1 lakh annual sales mark in FY 2025–26, recording its highest-ever commercial vehicle sales performance. The company said it sold more than 100,000 vehicles during the year, marking a major milestone aligned with the original vision of the Volvo–Eicher joint venture.The strong performance was supported by demand across categories. Light and Medium Duty (LMD) trucks contributed 47,789 units, accounting for 46.1 per cent of total sales. Heavy Duty (HD) trucks recorded 26,867 units (25.9 pe..

Technology

02 Apr 2026

Rodic Digital & Advisory partners SatSure to deploy EO intelligence in public sector

Rodic Digital & Advisory (RDA), the strategic advisory and digital transformation arm of Rodic Consultants, has signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SatSure to jointly pursue opportunities in India’s public sector. The collaboration aims to integrate high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) data and geospatial AI into government workflows to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and operational decision-making across key sectors.The partnership combines SatSure’s Earth intelligence capabilities with RDA’s expertise in government digital transformation and ..