Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday highlighted the benefits of the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), saying double-stack container freight trains are helping transport large volumes of cargo while reducing travel time, fuel consumption and logistics costs.
Addressing the ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat’ event in Vadodara, the Prime Minister said a double-stack container freight train recently operated between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in Mumbai and Vadodara, carrying cargo equivalent to more than 250 trucks in a single trip.
Taking a jibe at critics, he referred to the hypothetical objections of a “naraaz fufa” who might question what would happen to truck drivers and truck owners as freight shifts to rail.
PM Modi also recalled the status of the Dedicated Freight Corridor before 2014, saying that not even a kilometre of the project had been completed during the previous government’s seven to eight years in power.
He said the project was accelerated after 2014, drawing on the experience and lessons he had gained in Gujarat.
The Prime Minister said the completion of the DFC has transformed India’s transportation sector, with the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors emerging as the backbone of the country’s trade and commerce.
He said the 2,800-kilometre corridor has improved the speed and efficiency of freight movement. According to him, more than 430 freight trains now operate daily on the two corridors.
PM Modi said a freight train that earlier took around 6.5 hours to cover 100 kilometres can now cover the same distance in less than half that time. Similarly, a journey that takes around 30 hours by truck can be completed in 10 to 12 hours on the DFC.
He said the improved freight connectivity is helping save fuel and time, reduce freight costs and benefit the environment.
The Prime Minister also said the government is working towards providing free online coaching by top teachers to students preparing for competitive examinations. He said the initiative would help reduce the financial burden on poor and middle-class families, many of whom spend a significant portion of their income on coaching.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi laid foundation stones for and inaugurated development projects worth more than Rs 35,000 crore in Vadodara, including key sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, railway and highway projects and various Gujarat government projects. (ANI)
