India transported 1.6 billion tonnes of goods in FY 2024–25, powered by its Dedicated Freight Corridors.
India has quietly pulled off a logistics revolution. With 1,600 million metric tonnes of goods transported in FY 2024–25, Indian Railways has officially overtaken the United States and Russia to become the world’s second-largest rail freight carrier, behind only China.
The country’s rail network, once slow and congested, has been turbocharged by the rollout of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) electric freight corridors and record freight waggon production. China moved around 4.0 billion metric tonnes in the same period, followed by the US at 1.5 BMT and Russia at 1.1 BMT.
A Game-Changer: Dedicated Freight Corridors
Over 96% of India’s 2,843 km Dedicated Freight Corridor network is now operational, reshaping freight movement. The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (1,337 km) from Ludhiana to Sonnagar is fully commissioned, while the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (1,506 km) connecting JNPT to Dadri is 93% complete. The remaining 102 km stretch near JNPT is set to be commissioned by the end of 2025.
These electrified broad-gauge corridors, designed exclusively for freight trains, have pushed train speeds from the earlier 20–25 km/h to 50–60 km/h, with the capacity to reach up to 100 km/h. Today, around 300–325 freight trains run daily on these lines—a 60% jump in operations.
From Stalled Plans to Rapid Expansion
The DFC journey began under the Tenth Five-Year Plan in the early 2000s but moved at a snail’s pace for years. By 2014–15, just 30 km was operational. Momentum picked up sharply thereafter:
- 2015–18: Land acquisition hit 96%; major contracts were awarded.
- 2019–20: First sections like Rewari–Madar and Bhadan–Khurja commissioned.
- 2021–23: The network reached 74% completion with 62,000 freight trains operated.
- 2025: 2,741 km operational, Eastern DFC fully complete.
This transformation was underpinned by aggressive waggon production and multi-tracking projects that expanded carrying capacity across key industrial corridors.
Freight Surge and Economic Impact
Freight loading grew from 1,221 million tonnes in 2019 to an estimated 1,617 million tonnes in 2025. Annual growth rates consistently topped 5%, peaking at 8% during high-capacity expansion years. Even during the COVID-affected 2020–21 period, India maintained steady growth.
- 2019–20: 1,221 MMT
- 2020–21: 1,233 MMT
- 2021–22: 1,418 MMT
- 2022–23: 1,512 MMT
- 2023–24: 1,591 MMT
- 2024–25: 1,600+ MMT
Coal remains a key commodity, with over 10% of the national transporter’s freight now moving through DFCs, ensuring timely delivery to power plants. But the ripple effect extends beyond coal: manufacturing clusters, ports, and even underdeveloped regions are seeing faster and cheaper cargo movement.
Global Rail Freight Landscape
| Country | Freight Transport (BMT) | Network Length (km) | Corridor Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 4.0 | 162,000 | Exclusive freight corridors |
| India | 1.6 | 68,000+ | 96% DFC operational |
| US | 1.5 | 220,000 | Mixed traffic |
| Russia | 1.1 | 105,000 | Mixed traffic |
Unlike the US and Russia, whose massive rail networks rely on mixed traffic, India’s DFCs mirror China’s dedicated freight model, giving it a competitive edge in speed, capacity, and efficiency.
Shifting the freight landscape
DFC operations have driven a clear modal shift from road to rail, helping India reclaim market share in bulk freight movement. This not only cuts logistics costs but also reduces emissions and congestion on highways.
The government sees this as just the beginning. With additional corridors planned under the National Rail Plan and an expanding logistics ecosystem, India’s rise as a global freight leader is set to accelerate.
“Dedicated freight corridors are more than just rail tracks; they are the backbone of India’s logistics future,” a senior railway official noted. “What we’re witnessing today is the beginning of a multi-decade shift in how India moves goods.”
With near-complete DFCs, record freight volumes, and faster transit times, India’s railways are not just catching up; they’re setting the pace for a more efficient and sustainable logistics future.
Source: Swarajya
