Context: Recently, the Prime Minister of India has inaugurated a 351-km section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) and an Operation Control Centre (OCC) between Khurja and Bhaupur in Uttar Pradesh.

• EDFC is a 1,839-km project billed as the largest rail infrastructure being built in independent India and has been in the making since 2006.

What is Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)?
DFC is a high-speed and high-capacity railway corridor dedicated exclusively for goods and commodity movement. 
It ensures-

• Faster transit.
• Reduced logistics costs.
• Higher energy efficiency.
• Environment-friendly operations.

The project involves the construction of six freight corridors traversing the entire country.

Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) project

• The EDFC project involves the construction of a 1,839km-long freight line extending from Ludhiana to Dankuni.
• It passes through the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab.
• It is funded by the World Bank.
• Aim: To achieve integration, transformation and inclusion through the project by improving transport connectivity and domestic market integration for freight consigning industries in India.

Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL)

• DFCCIL is a special purpose vehicle established by the Ministry of Indian Railways in 2006.
• It is meant for the planning, construction, operation, maintenance, and mobilisation of financial resources of the DFCs.

Mission

• To build a corridor with appropriate technology that enables Indian railways to regain its market share of freight transport by creating additional capacity and guaranteeing efficient, reliable, safe and cheaper options for mobility to its customers.
• To set up multimodal logistic parks along the DFC to provide complete transport solution to customers.
• To support the government's initiatives toward ecological sustainability by encouraging users to adopt railways as the most environment friendly mode for their transport requirements.