The projects are expected to require an investment of INR 1.5 trillion, equivalent to approximately EUR 16.5 billion.
According to Cargo Insights, the planned lines include:
- East Coast Corridor (ECC): Kharagpur to Vijayawada (1,115 km)
- East-West Corridor (EWC): Mumbai region to Kolkata region (approx. 2,328 km)
- North-South Sub-Corridor (NSSC): Vijayawada–Nagpur–Itarsi (975 km)
These corridors are intended to supplement the existing Eastern and Western DFCs, offering dedicated routes for freight at speeds of up to 100 km/h. Heavier axle loads and segregation from mixed passenger and freight traffic are expected to improve efficiency across the rail network.
Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for all three corridors have been completed and are currently under ministerial review. The government has presented these corridors as part of its broader strategy to reduce logistics costs to below 10% of GDP.
