Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) transferred a record 892 freight trains between the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) network and the conventional Indian Railways network on 5 January 2026, according to Indian Railways. This is the highest number of freight trains handed over between the two networks in a single day since the corridors were commissioned, surpassing the previous record of 865 trains on 4 January 2026.
At these locations, trains either enter the DFC from Indian Railways routes to continue their journey on freight-only corridors or leave the DFC to proceed on the wider Indian Railways network toward terminals, yards, or customer locations. In railway operations, each such transfer is counted as a train interchange.
The 892 train transfers were handled between the DFC network and five Indian Railways zones across the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors. The volumes reflect sustained high-density freight operations on both corridors.
DFCCIL attributed the performance to operational measures including regulated train speeds, maintenance of safe headways, and coordination between adjoining stations to reduce time spent at junctions. Network-level planning and supervision were carried out by Central Control, supported by operational control centres and zonal control offices.
Operations were supported by automated signalling, real-time traffic monitoring, and digital control rooms. High-power electric locomotives hauled long and heavy freight trains at higher average speeds, while feeder route availability and yard management were used to minimise detention during entry and exit from the DFC network.
Indian Railways said that shifting large volumes of freight onto the DFCs reduces congestion on mixed-traffic routes, releasing capacity for passenger services on the conventional network. The DFCs primarily carry coal, cement, containers, and agricultural commodities.
Other high-volume transfer days on the DFC network include 846 trains on 30 March 2025, 830 on 14 September 2025, 820 on 31 March 2025, 812 on 3 January 2026, and 808 on 25 May 2025, indicating a sustained increase in daily freight movements between the two networks.
