India Details Route of Planned Dankuni-Surat East-West Freight Corridor

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw detailed the planned route of India's East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor while speaking at a train flag-off event in Mumbai on September 3, saying the line from Dankuni to Surat is being designed to reach areas of Maharashtra that currently lack rail connectivity.

According to a Ministry of Railways statement, the corridor — announced in the 2026-27 Union Budget — will provide rail access to parts of Vidarbha, Marathwada and Western Maharashtra, while also connecting toward Wardha and the port at Nashik. The ministry gave no cost estimate, route length or completion timeline for the project in the statement.

Vaishnaw made the remarks alongside Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal at the launch of a new CSMT Mumbai-Sawantwadi Road train service, where he also noted that India's existing Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors are now fully complete.