Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the commissioning of key sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) will bring a major transformation to India’s logistics network and strengthen the country’s role in global supply chains.
Speaking to reporters in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday, Fadnavis said the corridor would enable faster rail movement of freight from Uttar Pradesh to Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Maharashtra while helping reduce transportation expenses.
“Today, PM Modi inaugurated the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. This Corridor will bring a revolution in logistics in India. The movement of cargo from UP to JNPT will happen by rail,” Fadnavis said.
Double-Decker Freight Trains to Boost Capacity
Highlighting the freight corridor’s capacity, the Maharashtra Chief Minister said double-decker freight trains had been introduced to transport significantly larger volumes of goods in a single movement.
“For the first time, we have prepared double-decker racks. One train can carry goods that would have been carried by 250 trucks,” he said.
Fadnavis said shifting a greater share of freight movement to dedicated rail infrastructure could help bring logistics costs down to around 7%, improving the competitiveness of Indian businesses in international markets.
“With this dedicated freight corridor, we can bring the cost of cargo to 7%, resulting in competing with China and taking a better part in the global supply chain,” he said.
JNPT to Gain From Freight Connectivity
Fadnavis also highlighted the corridor’s importance for Maharashtra because its western end connects to JNPT, one of India’s major ports. Improved freight movement to the port could support industrial activity and create employment opportunities in the state.
“This is important for Maharashtra because its end destination is JNPT port, which will help in the generation of employment in the state,” Fadnavis said.
The comments followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of three sections of the WDFC and the launch of other infrastructure projects in Vadodara. The Prime Minister also laid foundation stones for projects worth more than Rs 35,000 crore covering railway, highway and Gujarat government initiatives.
Modi described the completion of more than 2,800 km of Dedicated Freight Corridors as a “historic milestone” for 21st-century India.
“For a Viksit Bharat, we need connectivity that is not only convenient but also fast enough to keep pace with the times,” Modi said.
He said the freight corridors would strengthen India’s logistics infrastructure and highlighted Gati Shakti as one of the key pillars of the country’s development vision.
With WDFC improving rail connectivity between production centres and major ports, Maharashtra is expected to play an important role in the corridor’s wider logistics and economic impact through JNPT.
Source: ANI
