DFCCIL Freight Surge: 48% Rise in Train Operations

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), which manages around 2,750 km long Eastern and Western corridors, saw a 48% surge in freight train operations in FY 2024-25, moving 1 tonne of goods over a cumulative distance of nearly 11.5 million km.

Satish Kumar, Railway Board's chief executive officer and chairman, shared this information while participating in the 20th Foundation Day of DFCCIL at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Friday.

The Corporation maintained that in the last financial year, it operated over 381 freight trains per day on average, highlighting its operational efficiency.

Senior DFCCIL officials said that India's total logistics cost is estimated at around Rs 24 lakh crore, and DFCCIL's transformative impact has been instrumental in reducing logistics costs from 14 per cent of GDP to approximately 8-9 per cent.

"A total of 1,39,302 trains were successfully operated during the review period, a testament to the organisation's growing reliability and operational capability," a press note from the DFCCIL said.


It added, "The Gross Tonne Kilometre (GTKM) reached 20,02,271 million, while the Net Tonne Kilometre (NTKM) stood at 11,49,79 million, indicating continuous improvement in network productivity."

The GTKM, a measure of freight transport activity, is the total weight of train and cargo multiplied by the distance it travels. The NTKM is the weight of the cargo multiplied by the distance.

Highlighting one of its historic milestones with the successful operation of "Rudrashtra", the country's longest freight train on the DFCCIL route, stretching 4.5 kilometres, with 354 wagons and seven locomotives, the DFCCIL said that it made a new chapter in India's freight transport history.

"DFCCIL made remarkable progress in expanding connectivity and logistics through Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals (GCTs) and Multimodal Logistics Hubs (MMLHs). The Gothangam Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal was inaugurated in March 2025, while the New Daud Khan and New Ankleshwar (near New Sanjali) terminals were also commissioned," the press note said.

Initiatives like "Truck-on-Train" and "High-Speed Small Cargo Service" are strengthening first and last mile connectivity, giving a major boost to the modal shift towards rail Transport, it added.

Outlining the road ahead, the press note said, "Through its Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals, DFCCIL continues to connect local industries with national and global markets, contributing to a more efficient supply chain and an improved logistics cost-to-GDP ratio.