PM Modi to dedicate 326-km Western Dedicated Freight Corridor sections, making entire DFC network operational

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday will dedicate three sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), covering 326 route kilometres and built at a cost of over ₹20,700 crore, making the entire Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) network fully operational. 

The new sections will provide direct connectivity to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), enabling faster movement of export-import cargo, cutting logistics costs and helping decongest Mumbai's railway network.

According to the official announcement, Modi will visit Gujarat and Maharashtra on September 8, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for development projects worth more than ₹35,000 crore in Vadodara before travelling to Mumbai to inaugurate the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026.

The three WDFC sections being dedicated to the nation are New Sanand (North)-New Makarpura, New Umbergaon-New Saphale and New Saphale-New JNPT. The government said their commissioning will strengthen India's logistics ecosystem by improving multimodal connectivity, reducing transit time and enabling seamless movement of cargo across regions.

“With the commissioning of these sections, the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) network will stand fully operational across its entire length," the statement said.

Rail projects to boost freight, passenger capacity

Modi will also flag off freight train services from New Sanand (North), New Makarpura, New Umbergaon and New JNPT, Mumbai. A new passenger train service between Tanda Road and Vadodara's Pratapnagar will also be flagged off.

The Prime Minister will dedicate the Jobat-Tanda Road new rail line, developed as part of the Chhota Udepur-Dhar project. The line is expected to connect remote and tribal areas of Alirajpur with the national rail network.

He will also lay the foundation stone for three railway projects spanning 329 km and costing more than ₹9,700 crore. These include the third and fourth lines between Vadodara and Ratlam, gauge conversion of the Miyagam Karjan-Choranda-Malsar section and doubling of the Vishwamitri-Dabhoi section.

These projects are expected to increase passenger and freight capacity, ease congestion and strengthen connectivity between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for three National Highway projects worth around ₹1,780 crore. These include six-laning of the Kamrej-Chalthan section of NH-48, construction of additional structures including major bridges over the Tapi and Narmada on the Vadodara-Surat section of NH-48, and grade-separated structures at Abhava, Mindhola and Khajod junctions on NH-53.

GFF 2026 to focus on AI, tokenisation and quantum technology

Later in the day, Modi will inaugurate the Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai at around 5:45 pm.

The seventh edition of GFF will be held from September 8 to 11 and will bring together policymakers, regulators, central banks, financial institutions, fintech companies, technology firms, investors and academia to discuss the future of finance.

The theme of this year's event is "Potential to Impact: Agentic AI, Tokenisation, Quantum - Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance."

Since 2020, GFF has developed into an international thought-leadership platform focused on shaping the future of finance. The 2026 edition will focus on the role of Agentic AI, programmable finance, quantum technologies and other emerging technologies in creating "trusted, inclusive and measurable outcomes" for citizens, enterprises and economies.