"JN Port to be fully linked to the Dedicated Freight Corridor by March 2026, according to officials."

The entire Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) is expected to be commissioned during FY26, with last-mile connectivity to Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) nearing completion, officials said.

“The full WDFC service will be operational before March 31, 2026,” a senior official said.

In a statement recently, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) said the final leg of the WDFC was reviewed during a coordination meeting with the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA).

The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC), which runs from Ludhiana to Sonnagar and spans 1,337 km, has already been fully commissioned. The WDFC, connecting JNPT with Dadri, is 1,506 km long, of which 1,404 km had been commissioned as of the end of December 2025. Together, the two corridors span a total length of 2,843 km.

DFCCIL said discussions during the review focused on the progress, technical aspects and timely completion of the 102-km JNPT–Vaitarna section, which forms the final and critical link of the WDFC. The review covered construction activities, signalling systems and related infrastructure.

The commissioning of the JNPT–Vaitarna section, which is at an advanced stage of execution, is expected to significantly improve freight movement between the country’s largest container port and the northern hinterland, including the National Capital Region (NCR), Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab.

Separately, DFCCIL has prepared detailed project reports for three new dedicated freight corridors with an estimated investment of ₹4.5 lakh crore, which have been submitted to the Railway Board for approval. These include the East Coast Freight Corridor from Kharagpur in West Bengal to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, the East–West Corridor from Kharagpur to Palghar in Maharashtra, and the North–South Corridor from Vijayawada to Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh.

Officials said the East Coast Freight Corridor has been accorded the highest priority for approvals, followed by the East–West and North–South corridors.