The 306km-long Western Dedicated Freight Corridor’s Rewari (Haryana) - Madar (Rajasthan) Section was inaugurated today by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry, Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana and Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, and Suzuki Satoshi, Ambassador of Japan to India along  with other dignitaries.

Japan has been providing funds and expertise for the dedicated freight railway system having route length of approximately 1,500km, which has been constructed under the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor project, along the Industrial Corridor between Dadri-Delhi and Mumbai.

Speaking on this occasion, Suzuki Satoshi, Ambassador of Japan to India said, “The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor project is an important venture of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) initiative”.

“This project is an epitome of Japan-India collaboration for comprehensive infrastructure development. It creates India’s largest industrial belt zone by linking industrial parks and harbours of six states between Delhi and Mumbai in order to promote trade, foreign export and direct investment. Japanese companies such as Nippon Koei, Oriental Consultants Global, Hitachi, Mitsui & Co, Sojitz, JFE Engineering and IHI Infrastructure Systems have been contributing to developing this priority project.We are looking forward to continuing to work with our Indian friends on this important project,” he added.

Speaking on this occasion, Katsuo Matsumoto, Chief Representative, JICA India said, “JICA is committed towards the development of infrastructure in India. Western Dedicated Freight Corridor project is one of the most important JICA-supported projects, covering the areas between Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai where significant commercial and industrial development is seen. By meeting the higher growth rate expected by seamless freight transportation in these areas and optimising distributing networks, the project will make a far-reaching contribution towards India’s economic development. JICA understands that the spread of novel coronavirus pandemic brought various challenges globally including the severe setbackof construction work. Despite these testing times, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) under the Ministry of Railways, the executing agency, has relentlessly worked with Japanese consultants and contractors to achieve this significant milestone. JICA would like DFCCIL, Japanese consultants and contractors to keep continuing to put tireless efforts for furtherworksprogress until the completion of the entire 1500km corridor between Dadri-Delhi and Mumbai.”

JICA has extended a cumulative total of 464,267 million Japanese yen in ODA loans (approximately Rs 33,000 crore) for the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor project up to now. JICA is further exploring the possibility of continuing its assistance for this project so as to support this project and help India’s efforts on modernisation of freight transportation.