With the launch of DFCs and the rapid development of MMLPs, cargo flow is becoming faster, cleaner, and efficient. Projects such as NICDC Logistics Data Services (NLDS), are redefining how goods move — connecting rail, road, air, and waterways to create an integrated, technology-driven logistics ecosystem.
India’s freight story is changing rapidly. For decades, goods movement meant long waits, clogged highways, and overworked rail lines. Today, that picture is being redrawn — with new freight-only rail corridors, sprawling logistics parks, and data flowing quietly in the background keeping everything in sync.
At the heart of this shift are the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), giant railway expressways built for cargo, and a growing network of multimodal logistics works on a single contract, seamlessly linking rail, road, air, and waterways. Together, they are making moving goods faster, cheaper, and cleaner. And
running in the background, tying it all together, is NLDS, the country’s digital backbone
for logistics.
Imagine two giant arteries of steel — that is what the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors are. These are not ordinary rail lines. They are designed only for freight, so trains can run longer, carry heavier loads, and get to places faster. The two DFCs together are 2,800-km-long and are nearly operational. Freight carried on DFCs shot up by 142 per cent in just one year. On the Western Corridor, trains zip through at 51 kmph, hauling almost 62 billion gross tonne-kilometres, a huge jump from the year before. For the first time, cargo trains are not just keeping up — they are setting the pace. And by taking freight off traditional rail lines, DFCs are freeing up space for more passenger trains.
The Sanjali Cargo Terminal near Ahmedabad in Gujarat would be a case in point. Built on private land, the terminal links with ports, industries, and national highways. It offers truck-on-train services. And 6 km away, a proposed MMLP is all set to give the region a bigger freight hub.
Across India, the government is planning a whole chain of MMLPs — 100-acre complexes that bring together rail sidings, road access, warehousing, cold storage, and customs under one roof. Locations, such as Guwahati, Nagpur, Bengaluru, and Chennai are being primed to become anchors of this new network.
Private players are stepping in too. In Greater Noida, Adani Ports and Super Handlers are preparing a 174-acre multimodal park with links to both DFCs, the new international airport, and dry ports. Policy support is fuelling momentum. Nearly 108 multimodal cargo terminals have been cleared in three years.
Beyond single terminals, the MMLPs initiative under the Logistics Efficiency Enhancement Programme (LEEP) is designing 100‑acre hub‑and‑spoke freight parks into rail, road, and value-add services. These hubs are being developed at Guwahati, Nagpur, Bengaluru, and Chennai, among others.
Why multimodal plus DFC is a game changer
- Modal shifts: The DFCs encourage cargo to move off roads, shorter routes, double-stack containers, electric traction, and predictable timing cut costs and emissions
- Network efficiencies: Multimodal parks and terminals act as logistics routers, interfacing between modes, consolidating cargo, and just-in-time supply chains
- Capacity unlocks: New DFCs free up conventional rail lines for passenger services and local freight, enhancing overall system headroom
- Climate alignment: Electrified corridors help reduce diesel use and contribute to India’s carbon goals — making freight cleaner and leaner
As far as the freight corridors and new multimodal parks go, the country will have a logistics future that is fast, networked, smart, and flexible. NLDS will unbundle the complexity and orchestrate the logistics at the DFCs and multimodal parks.
Tanuj Anand, Senior Manager, Logistics, NICDC
(The views expressed are solely of the author. The publication may or may not subscribe to the same)
