A proud and historic moment for DFCCIL! The successful trial run of freight trains marks the completion of the entire Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) on 31st March 2026, with operations carried out on the JNPT–New Saphale (Vaitarna) section. A container train in the down direction (JNPT → New Saphale) departed at 11:50 hrs, hauled by an electric locomotive, while in the up direction (New Saphale → JNPT), a container train also departed at 11:50 hrs, powered by a diesel locomotive. Conducted under the leadership of Sh. Praveen Kumar, MD/DFCCIL, this trial run signifies the operational readiness of the critical 102 km balance section of the WDFC. It marks a major milestone towards commissioning the corridor for freight operations and demonstrates that the newly commissioned high-rise electrified, high-capacity double-line infrastructure is fully prepared for seamless and efficient movement of goods. The occasion was graced by Sh. Shobhit Bhatnagar, Director/OP&BD; Sh. Anurag Sharma, Director/Infrastructure; Sh. M. K. Awasthy, ED/Infrastructure; Sh. Sandesh Srivastava, ED/Projects; Sh. Vikas Srivastava, GGM/S&T; Sh. Ran Vijay Singh, GGM/Electrical; Sh. Amit Saurastri, GM/CC; and Sh. H. G. Tiwari, CGM/Mumbai, along with other senior officers and the dedicated DFCCIL team. This achievement will add a new chapter to India’s logistics landscape—unlocking faster port connectivity, enhancing supply chain efficiency, and enabling greener, more reliable freight movement. The full commissioning of WDFC marks a transformative step in strengthening the nation’s logistics backbone and accelerating economic growth. With uninterrupted end-to-end connectivity now established, train operations will become significantly more efficient, requiring fewer sets (2 sets) of crew between New Makarpura and New JNPT due to reduced operational handovers and streamlined running. Additionally, freight trains will experience a reduction of nearly four hours in transit time, enabling faster turnaround of rolling stock, improved asset utilization, enhanced schedule reliability, and greater capacity for handling increased freight volumes. #DFCCIL #WDFC #FreightCorridor #JNPT #LogisticsRevolution #RailInfrastructure #NewIndia #Milestone
