Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) & High Speed Rail Corridors (HSR)

Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)

A project by Ministry of Railways by setting up a SPV (DFCIL)
Japan is funding it (technically and financially).

2 corridors -

1. Eastern (Ludhiana to Dankuni) ~ 1800 kms
2. Western (Dadri to JNPT)  ~ 1500 kms (under DMIC project)

DMIC components

1. Western DFC
2. intersection free six-lane expressway 
3. 3 ports
4. 6 airports
5. 8 NIMZs
6. 1 4000MW power plant

Why DFCs ?

1. Our emerging economy needs infrastructure to support it - fast movement of coal for power plants - fast movement of raw materials and finished products
2. decrease the load on the routes making passenger transport fast and safe
3. It will foster setting up of industrial corridors and logistics parks along its alignment.
4. It will help IR to serve market needs in a better way.

High Speed Rail Corridors (HSR)

Proposed in 6 routes in Rail Budget 2010.

1. Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar
2. Delhi-Agra-Kanpur-Lucknow-Varanasi-Patna
3. Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad
4. Kolkata-Haldia
5. Hyd-Vijaywada-Chennai
6. Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Ernakulam

Why HSRs ?

1. Fast mode of transport- will compete with Low cost flights in terms of cost factor
2. fuel effective - Energy requirement is 5 times less than that of flights and one third of that of cars
3. 30% less land requirement than that of an expressway
4. Environment friendly mode

It also proposed to set up a National High Speed rail Authority (NHSRA) on the lines of NHAI in road sector, to coordinate, plan and construction etc.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/laying-high-speed-train-corridor-to-cost-rs-80000-crore/article6999196.ece