Indian Railways Runs First 85 km/h Passenger Train on DFC

 

The DFC: Freight Backbone Turns Passenger Pathway

India’s Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) has long been conceived as a specialized rail network solely for goods trains, aimed at easing congestion and boosting freight capacity on the conventional rail lines. As of March 2025, 96.4 % of the total 2,843 km network comprising the Eastern and Western DFCs had been commissioned. The success of freight operations on DFC has opened up possibilities of utilizing the corridor for passenger services, especially during peak travel times.

 

A Historic First: Passenger Train on the DFC

In a landmark move, Indian Railways ran the Gaya–Shakur Basti Unreserved Puja Special (Train 03641) along a portion of the DFC, marking the first time a passenger train used a corridor originally meant for freight traffic. The train covered about 740 km in roughly nine hours, averaging a speed of 85 km/h, while enjoying priority routing on the corridor.

This special service during the festive Chhath season underscores Indian Railways’ intent to explore DFC usage for passenger operation, relieving pressure on conventional lines and improving punctuality for special and regular trains.

 

Why This Shift Matters

Using DFC corridors for passenger traffic carries several advantages:

Decongestion of legacy tracks: Freight trains take up significant capacity on existing routes. Shifting some passenger services to DFC frees up space for both goods and coaching trains.

Faster transit times: DFCs are engineered for higher speeds and heavier loads. Running a passenger express at 85 km/h demonstrates their potential as faster corridors.

Timeliness and priority: With fewer conflicting train movements and priority scheduling, passenger trains may adhere better to timetables, reducing delays.

Peak demand relief: During festivals or seasonal peaks, DFCs can act as overflow routes for special services, helping manage travel surges.

 

Technical Readiness and Constraints

While most of the DFC is operational, certain stretches, especially in the Western corridor, remain under final works. Train operations in a freight corridor present some challenges:

Signalling & safety: Passenger operations require stringent signaling, train protection systems, and compatibility checks with corridor design standards.

Routing transitions: At junctions where DFC lines rejoin conventional tracks, smooth transitions must be ensured for speed compatibility and access to stations.

Stopping constraints: DFCs were not designed with frequent halts in mind. Trains on DFCs may skip many stops and rejoin regular lines to service stations.

Rolling stock suitability: Coaches and locomotives must be certified for corridor conditions (gradient, track quality, load).

Given these constraints, Indian Railways initially ran “empty rake movements” of passenger coaches on DFC (i.e., moving the train without passengers) before enabling a fully loaded special service.

 

Strategic Implications & Future Prospects

This initiative suggests a more flexible future for DFC networks: not just freight arteries but multimodal corridors serving both goods and passengers.

Enhanced network utility: Railways can maximize the return on DFC investments by diversifying usage.

Revenue opportunities: Passenger operations open new revenue lines beyond freight tariffs.

Infrastructure evolution: Future DFC design may more actively integrate passenger services, including appropriate stations or crossover links.

Replication potential: If successful, more routes and corridors could be opened for limited passenger use during high demand.

Already, reports suggest that multiple special trains (six in total) are being scheduled via the Eastern DFC during the post-Chhath rush, including the 03263 Danapur–Shakur Basti train, entering the DFC at Chunar and rejoining the mainline near Delhi.  

 

Conclusion

The maiden 85 km/h passenger run along India’s Dedicated Freight Corridor represents a bold experiment in optimizing railway infrastructure. While freight remains the primary purpose of DFCs, Indian Railways is testing how these high-capacity tracks can also serve passengers   especially during festival peaks. If managed intelligently with safety protocols, compatibility upgrades, and scheduling discipline, this could herald a transformative shift: DFCs as dual-purpose arteries linking speed, efficiency, and capacity in India’s future railway network.