4.2. Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs)

The Indian Railways' quadrilateral linking the four metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Howrah, commonly known as the Golden Quadrilateral; and its two diagonals (Delhi-Chennai and Mumbai-Howrah), adding up to a total route length of 10,122 km carries

more than 55% of revenue earning freight traffic of IR. The existing trunk routes of Howrah- Delhi on the Eastern Corridor and Mumbai-Delhi on the Western Corridor are highly saturated, with line capacity utilization varying between 115-150 per cent.

The surging power needs requiring heavy coal movement, booming infrastructure construction and growing international trade has led to the conception of the Dedicated Freight Corridors. The Sanctioned Dedicated Freight Corridors are: