New Delhi, India has joined a select group of countries operating heavy freight rail systems and is looking to adopt global best practices and advanced technologies to further improve safety, reliability and efficiency in freight operations, DFCCIL said on Friday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the two-day International Heavy Transport Symposium 2026 at Bharat Mandapam here, Praveen Kumar, Managing Director, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited, said the event was organized to bring together experts from across the world and facilitate exchange of knowledge and technologies that can help in reducing logistics costs in India.
The DFCCIL MD said the symposium has been designed to serve as a platform for technical discussions and networking between railway professionals, technology providers and policy makers.
“With this goal in mind, we have organized this two-day international conference. The purpose is to bring together international experts and technologies. We have also implemented many innovations here, and this platform will enable knowledge exchange,” he said.
“Around 12 speakers are participating, including international experts and representatives of Indian Railways, RDSO and other organisations. They will present and deliberate on various topics over the two days. We will learn from each other and try to implement these lessons in DFC and Indian Railways,” he said.
Kumar said the discussions focused on emerging technologies that can improve railway maintenance and operations.
“Discussions focus on technologies such as AI-based predictive maintenance, autonomous inspection, and monitoring and maintenance systems,” he said.
Noting that many railway functions are still carried out manually, he said adopting technology could significantly improve safety and reliability.
Stating that only a few countries operate heavy freight rail systems, he said India has now entered this category through dedicated freight corridors.
“Only about seven or eight countries in the world operate heavy freight systems. These countries include the United States, Sweden, China, Australia, Brazil and South Africa. Heavy freight trains run in these countries,” Kumar said.
Explaining the importance of the Dedicated Freight Corridor programme, Kumar said that reducing logistics costs was a key objective of the project from the beginning.
“The dedicated freight corridor is designed with an aim to reduce logistics costs. Globally, logistics costs are around 7-8 per cent of GDP, while in India it is around 13-14 per cent. Unless we focus on transporting goods, our logistics costs will remain high,” he said.
He said that the dedicated Eastern and Western freight corridors were approved with the specific aim of making freight movement more efficient and reducing logistics costs.
“The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor have been sanctioned with the aim of reducing logistics costs once they become fully operational. Studies have already shown that logistics costs have come down after both the hubs are operational,” Kumar said.
Kumar also explained the company’s future role in building dedicated freight infrastructure, citing the recently announced East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor.
“The dedicated freight corridor has been created specifically to develop freight infrastructure. This is evident from the government’s recent announcement of the East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor, which will extend from Dankuni in West Bengal to Surat district in Gujarat, crossing the country from east to west,” he added.
Giving details of the proposed project, Kumar said the corridor would be a major addition to the country’s shipping network.
“The corridor will be about 2,100 kilometers long, with double-line tracks and electrification of high-rise buildings. The government has entrusted the Forces of Freedom and Change with the responsibility for its construction,” he added.
He said DFCCIL’s experience in building the Eastern and Western shipping corridors puts it in a strong position to implement future projects.
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