DFCCIL engages in discussions with major e-commerce and logistics firms like Amazon, Meesho, Delhivery, Blue Dart Express, Shiprocket to lease out recently developed cargo transportation infrastructure.
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) initiates negotiations with over a dozen prominent e-commerce and logistics enterprises, including Amazon, Meesho, Delhivery, Blue Dart Express, and Shiprocket, regarding the leasing of newly constructed cargo transportation infrastructure. Shobhit Bhatnagar, DFCCIL’s Director of Operations & Business Development, reports positive feedback from companies following presentations on the benefits of the western dedicated freight corridor (WDFC).
DFCCIL has been conducting a trial service with Amazon since August last year, facilitating the transportation of customer packages through the 659-km freight route between Rewari and Palanpur, linking industrial hubs in Haryana and Gujarat. Bhatnagar highlights ongoing efforts to enhance service capacity, with plans to add more coaches to accommodate increasing demand. The completion of the Saphale to JNPT stretch by June next year is expected to further stimulate demand and bolster connectivity between Mumbai and Delhi.
Despite the EDFC’s full functionality, a 109-km stretch on the WDFC remains under construction, crucial for direct Mumbai-Delhi connectivity. DFCCIL underscores the significant reduction in transportation time and logistics costs attributed to the WDFC, citing nearly 50 percent faster container train transit from Western Indian ports to Delhi NCR due to enhanced operational speeds.
While queries to Delhivery, Meesho, and Blue Dart remain unanswered, experts assert that companies will carefully evaluate the benefits of shifting cargo to DFC, emphasising railways’ cost-effectiveness for bulk goods movement. Nonetheless, some express skepticism, citing the entrenched transportation networks of these companies.
