In what is a major step toward segregating rail traffic, work on the ambitious national rail freight corridor entered a crucial phase on Sunday night as it intersected train lines near Panvel and Kalamboli. Once completed by the year-end, the freight corridor will divert goods trains away from mainlines, freeing up space for passenger trains.

The Indian Railways is constructing two Dedicated Freight Corridors—the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). The 1337-km EDFC will connect Ludhiana to Sonnagar, while the 1506-km WDFC will link Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal (JNPT) in Mumbai to Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.