Indian Railways operates double-stack ‘python train’ service on the Western DFC
Gateway Rail Freight Ltd. (GatewayRail), a subsidiary of Gateway Distriparks Limited, has undertaken operations of two double-stacked trains in a python configuration on the Indian Railways’Western DFC. These trains are dedicated services for CMA-CGM shipping line, the world’s fourth-largest container shipping company.
From the two double-stacked trains, one train arrived from Mundra port and the other from Pipavav port, both carrying import containers. The trains were joined at New Kishangarh, Rajasthan (Madar Junction) for the DFC stretch of 306 km up to New Ateli, Rewari, Haryana.
The government’s allocation of ₹1.1 trillion for the Indian Railways has given specific thrust towards the completion of Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) by June 2022 that will further add impetus to rail infrastructure and will immensely benefit ports, exporters, and importers, shipping lines and container operators and other consumers of Rail transport. The corridor will increase the transportation efficiency and reduce the cost for customers.
In the budget, it was announced that Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) and Eastern DFC are expected to be commissioned by June 2022. Further, the Finance Minister proposed that the Sonnagar – Gomoh Section (263.7 km) of Eastern DFC will be taken up in PPP mode in 2021-22. Gomoh-Dankuni section of 274.3 km will also be taken up in short succession.
Future dedicated freight corridor projects namely East Coast corridor from Kharagpur to Vijayawada, East-West Corridor from Bhusaval to Kharagpur to Dankuni and North-South corridor from Itarsi to Vijayawada will be also be undertaken, Sitharaman said.
