Investment scenario in any nation depends on the quality of infrastructural development and the initiatives taken up to meet the current and future growth. In India, infrastructural development has always been at a slower pace due to growing population, funding challenges and lack of regulatory framework. Due to these issues, the already existing infrastructure is becoming saturated and is not able to cope up with the growing economy. In India, the transport requirement is estimated to grow by 10 to 12 percent in medium to long-term range. Further, the existing rail network is not able to take up additional load. In order to overcome all these issues, the concept of dedicated freight corridor evolved. Dedicated Freight Corridor is one of prominent infrastructure project being undertaken in the country. The Government of India has formed a special purpose vehicle - Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India to implement these projects.

The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor will be a 1,893 Kilometer route connecting Dankuni in West Bengal with Khurja in Uttar Pradesh. It will pass through six states – Punjab (88 Kms), Haryana (72 Kms), Uttar Pradesh (1,049 Kms), Bihar (93 Kms), Jharkhand (50 Kms) and West Bengal (488 Kms). Similarly, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor will be a 1,504 Kilometer route connecting Dadri in Uttar Pradesh with JNPT in Maharashtra. The route will pass through five states – Haryana (177 Kms), Rajasthan (567 Kms), Gujarat (565 Kms), Maharashtra (177 Kms) and Uttar Pradesh (18 Kms).

Real Estate - Impact

Dedicated Freight Corridor will boost the transit-oriented development as well as real estate market, especially warehousing, logistic and commercial segments. The freight corridors will witness development of market-oriented industrial areas, investment regions, industrial parks and mega logistic parks. All these developments will lead to easy movement of people across various part of the country and will also create huge employment opportunities. All these factors will trigger development of townships and industrial townships in the adjoining areas and influence zones.