OREANDA-NEWS. November 24, 2011. Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) on Eastern (Dankuni-Ludhiana) and Western (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal to Tughlakabad/Dadri) routes have been sanctioned. The status in respect of both the Corridors is as under:

Eastern Corridor:

Construction work is in progress in 66 kilometres of Sonnagar-Mughalsarai portion of the corridor. The work on the Mughalsarai-Ludhiana portion (1183 kms) of the corridor is being funded through World Bank loan. The loan agreement for the Phase-I (Khurja-Kanpur, 343 kms. Section) has been signed with the World Bank and process for finalization of tender for civil works of this section has commenced.

Western Corridor :

Work on 54 major and important bridges between Vaitarna and Surat is in progress.

Loan Agreement with Japan International cooperation Agency (JICA), which is funding the entire Western Freight Corridor work, has been signed for Phase-I of the work between Rewari and Vadodara.

Tendering process for execution of civil work on the 625 kms. Rewari-Iqbalgarh portion has also commenced.

Expenditure till 31st March, 2011 on Eastern and Western DFC Project is Rs. 2026.41 crore. Budget allotment for 2011-12 is Rs. 2956 crore and expenditure till September 2011 is Rs. 315.8 crore.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri K. H. Muniyappa in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.