Mumbai: By year-end, freight trains won’t hold up your commute!

Once completed, the freight corridor will divert goods trains away from mainlines, freeing up space for passenger trains. Pics/By special arrangement

In what is a major step toward segregating rail traffic, work on the ambitious national rail freight corridor entered a crucial phase on Sunday night as it intersected train lines near Panvel and Kalamboli. Once completed by the year-end, the freight corridor will divert goods trains away from mainlines, freeing up space for passenger trains.

The Indian Railways is constructing two Dedicated Freight Corridors - the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). The 1337-km EDFC will connect Ludhiana to Sonnagar, while the 1506-km WDFC will link Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal (JNPT) in Mumbai to Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.

Representative picture of the freight corridor

Traversing five states - Uttar Pradesh (18 km), Haryana (177 km), Rajasthan (565 km), Gujarat (565 km), and Maharashtra (177 km) - the WDFC is set to take freight traffic off the main lines, creating more slots for passenger and suburban trains.

"Yes, Central Railway will be operating four special traffic and power blocks between the Panvel and Kalamboli section for the launch of an Open Web Girder at the Kalamboli Rail Flyover for the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd," a CR spokesperson said.

The first girder launch is scheduled for the night of May 11/12 (Sunday/Monday midnight), followed by post-launch activities on May 13/14 (Tuesday/Wednesday midnight), May 14/15 (Wednesday/Thursday midnight), and May 16/17 (Friday/Saturday midnight).

The freight corridor will divert goods trains away from the mainline, helping passenger trains. Pic/By special arrangement

Train operations will be regulated during these periods. The first block on May 11/12 will last from 1.20 am to 4.50 am; the second block on May 13/14 from 1.20 am to 4.20 am; the third on May 14/15 from 2am to 4am; and the final block on May 16/17 from 2am to 4am.

The freight corridor alignment has mostly been kept parallel to existing rail lines, with detours at Diva, Surat, Ankleshwar, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, Palanpur, Phulera, and Rewari. However, from Rewari to Dadri, it runs entirely on a new alignment. After crossing Panvel station, the corridor veers toward JNPT.