The Union government has approved a new 2,052 km dedicated freight corridor (DFC) linking Dankuni in West Bengal to Surat in Gujarat, set to create an East–West cargo spine.

Announced in the 2026 Budget, this corridor will enhance connectivity between India’s eastern manufacturing hub and its busiest western ports. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that the DFC will traverse six states—West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat—before merging with the Western DFC near Surat. The integration with the existing Western DFC, which links Dadri to JNPT, will facilitate smoother cargo movement to major ports like JNPT, Mundra, and Hazira.

The new corridor will feature dedicated tracks for freight, reducing congestion on passenger-heavy routes, improving transit times, and supporting double-stack container trains. The DFC is expected to lower logistics costs, improve supply chain reliability, and aid India’s shift from road to rail for more sustainable transport.