MAHARASHTRA (Metro Rail News): Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), Maharashtra, Chairman Shri. Gaurav Dayal, IAS, along with Deputy Chairman Shri. Ravish Singh and senior port officials undertook comprehensive field inspection of key railway infrastructure along the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) route on Sunday, 30 August 2026.
The delegation visited Kharbhav Railway Station to explore its strategic integration with the DFC, which would help in faster movement of containerised cargo from JNPA to the major consumption and distribution hubs in Bhiwandi (Maharashtra). The strategic move is expected to reduce transit time and ease road congestion.
The team also inspected New Nilanje Railway Station to evaluate its potential as an additional freight node followed by the visit in the Bhiwandi Warehousing Hub to assess its storage capacity, last-mile logistics and readiness to receive cargo through an improved rail-based system.
Rather than construction of a completely new Dedicated Freight Corridor,JNPA is exploring and assessing how existing railway nodes such as Kharbhav and New Nilanje can be better integrated with the DFC to create an efficient freight route to Bhiwandi.
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Why Rails over Roads?
JNPA wants to move a larger share of containers by rail, while trucks can continue handling last-mile deliveries. JNPA Deputy Chairman Shri Ravish Singh specifically said that ‘‘Transitioning a higher share of container traffic from road to rail is crucial for reducing logistics costs and turnaround times, adding that the joint assessments reinforce JNPA’s commitment to building resilient hinterland connectivity that supports the growth of trade and industry’’according to the report of Maritime Gateway.
JNPA is trying to connect India’s major container gateway more efficiently with Bhiwandi’s large warehousing and distribution ecosystem, using the DFC and strategic rail nodes. The expected benefits are faster container evacuation, lower dependence on road transport, reduced congestion and potentially lower logistics costs.
Also read :Western Dedicated Freight Corridor completed: A big shift in India’s logistic sector