Apart from Eastern(Ludhiana to Dankuni) and Western (Jawaharlal Nehru Port to Dadri) Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) currently under implementation, in Budget Speech 2016-2017, it is proposed to take up the following freight corridors:-(i) East-West Corridor (2328 kms) (Kolkata-Mumbai); (ii) North-South Corridor(2343 km) (Delhi-Chennai); and (iii) East Coast Corridor (1114 km) ( Kharagpur-Vijaywada).
The Preliminary Engineering Cum Traffic Survey (PETS) Reports of these Corridors have been completed. As per the PETS reports, salient features of the Corridors are: (1) parallel to the existing alignment, (2) designed for 25 tonne axle load standards (upgradable to 32.5 tonne axle load) with maximum speed of 100 km/h, and (3) design for no surface crossings and rail flyovers at Junction Stations.
The freight traffic projections in the three new corridors as per PETS reports indicate a level of approximately 1300 million tonnes by 2026-27. Estimated completion Costs are :- (i) East-West Corridor – ` 1,10,529 crore; (ii) North-South Corridor – ` 1,04,471 crore; and (iii) East Coast Corridor – ` 56,749 crore.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Indian Railway News 