Progress on Freight Corridor Project
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15:18 IST
Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) Project comprising Eastern Corridor (Dankuni-Ludhiana) and the Western Corridor (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal to Tughlakabad/Dadri) have been sanctioned by the Government and are under implementation. Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), a special purpose vehicle, has been formed as a Public Sector Undertaking of the Ministry of Railways to implement this project. Final location survey for the Western DFC and for Ludhiana-Sonnagar section of Eastern DFC has been completed.

Initial construction contracts for 105 kilometers in Eastern DFC and for 54 major and important bridges on Western DFC have been awarded and work is in progress. Negotiations for external funding are in progress and funding for Phase-I (Rewari-Vadodara) of Western DFC is tied up with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). A part of the Eastern DFC is also proposed to be funded through domestic investment in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The project is targeted to be completed in 2016-17.

The base cost of Western DFC from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust near Mumbai to Dadri near Delhi and Eastern DFC from Dankuni to Ludhiana is estimated at approximately Rs. 42,231 crore. This excludes escalation, contingency, PPP element, taxes and interest during construction. Steps taken by Ministry of Railways to expedite the project include tying up adequate funds, fixing timelines for critical stages and close monitoring.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways, Shri K.H. Muniyappa in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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