The DFCCIl seems to be the grand future of Indian economy with its increased number of trains and carrying load in eastern and western sectors
It’s rather hard to believe but the fact is that Indian Railways has something good in store for shippers and major logistic players when the western and eastern sectors of the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India limited (DFCCIl) gets commissioned sometime by end 2020.
Not only would the trains be running by a strict timetable, but the contract would include a penalty clause if the cargo reaches the destination late, as well as a bonus for railways if it reaches in time.
Typically, the Dadri-Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), a 1,349 km journey on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, is expected to be completed in 24 hours, which should enable shippers to plan their dispatches to match the export schedule, as well as have minimum delay in imports, reaching their facilities once they are unloaded from a ship.
Conceptualised a decade back to give the railways freight and passenger business a new lease of life as well as create enough room for it to grow, the DFCCIl was set up in 2006 and project work began in right earnest with acquisition of land.
Fortunately, the spare land, along the existing right of way, on both sectors for laying extra doubleline accounted for more than 90 per cent of what was needed and some innovative approach, enabled the balance — mostly at the existing stations and certain other unavoidable detours — to be soon acquired.
A flurry of activities, since the last couple of years, has resulted in 83 per cent of the civil engineering and 62 per cent of systems contracts being awarded, and the balance likely to be covered by the beginning of 2018 for the eastern sector; while 100 per cent of both civil and systems contracts have been awarded to the western sector. With overall 37.4 per cent financial and 39.6 per cent physical progress for the entire project, the DFCCIl has still a long way to go.
However, adoption of mechanised track laying, on both the sectors, has considerably speeded up the work. Stretching for almost half a kilometre, these monsters can lay brand new track at a fast clip of almost 1.5km a day, after the earthwork formation is ready and the initial cushion layer of stone ballast has been laid.
Resultantly, a short stretch of about 52km from Durgawati to Sasaram, in Bihar, saw the inauguration of the first freight train in March 2016. A further 212km long section from Ateli to Phulera, on the western sector, is expected to be commissioned by March 2018 and a 365km long section from Kanpur to Khurja on the eastern sector would see freight trains rolling along by August, the same year. If all goes well, the tentative plan for commissioning of both the DFCCIl corridors is end 2020.
Since the DFCCIl corridors have been designed to carry 25 tonnes as against the present 22.5 tonnes axle load, the track on 22 feeder route totalling 3,434km on the eastern sector, which would primarily have 100-tonner gondola-type, bottom-discharge wagons carrying coal for thermal plants up north are simultaneously being upgraded.
Presently, six container trains, each from Dadri and Tughlakabad head south on the Delhi-Ahmedabad route, along with around 50 other freight trains will ultimately shift to the DFCCIl on the Western sector, while around 70 trains, mostly coal-loads from the Delhi-Howrah Grand Trunk route would be transferred to the Eastern sector of the DFCCIl.
Hopefully, this should considerably decongest the existing Trunk routes and help to improve the existing dismal level of punctuality of passenger carrying trains.
A total of 389km from ludhiana to Khurja would be an electrified single line section, while the 961km-long Khurja-Son Nagar would be double line to ensure higher speed and handle larger volume of traffic. The Dadri to JNPT section will be an electrified double line, with catenary positioned at higher than normal to permit double stack operations which is the norm with the existing diesel locomotives as motive powers.
Container trains originating from Dadri, Tughlakabad and other Concor depots up north, destined for the JNPT and other ports in the West would be stopped and double stacked at Pirthala, so that higher volumes of transport and productivity is maintained.
Depending on the traffic offered, 1,500m long trains are expected to be run with stabling loops at appropriate intervals. 12,000hp monster electrics and 9,000hp diesel locomotives are scheduled to be manufactured at Marhorwa and Madhepura in Bihar, for hauling the mega loads, ushering in a new era of optimum transport volumes to sustain India's economic growth for the next 50 years, if not more.
(The writer is a former Member, Railway Board)