India’s rising engineering prowess and commitment to freight mobility, the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) has successfully installed its longest-ever Rail Flyover girder at Kalamboli, located in the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT)–Nilje section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC).
The open web steel girder spans an impressive 110.5 metres and weighs close to 1,500 tonnes, making it one of the largest components ever launched by DFCCIL for a rail infrastructure project. The installation, a critical feat in precision engineering, involved radial shifting of the mammoth girder across live Indian Railways tracks a manoeuvre that demad expert coordination and the use of cutting-edge heavy-lifting technologies. Engineers executed a 34-metre lateral shift of the girder over active lines, without disrupting regular train movement an achievement that speaks to the growing technical sophistication of India’s freight rail sector.
This milestone reinforces DFCCIL’s mission to transform the country’s freight transport capacity while embedding principles of safety, sustainability, and efficiency into infrastructure development. Once operational, the Kalamboli Rail Flyover will enhance connectivity between JNPT, one of India’s busiest container ports, and the industrial hinterlands in Maharashtra and beyond, streamlining cargo movement and reducing transit time significantly. The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, spanning over 1,500 kilometres, is one of the two key freight corridors under development, the other being the Eastern corridor. Both projects are designed to decongest India’s overburdened rail network, enabling high-speed freight movement and reducing dependence on road transport. These corridors not only promise significant economic gains but also align with the country’s climate action goals by shifting logistics from carbon-intensive highways to lower-emission rail routes.
Infrastructure experts view such engineering milestones as more than symbolic they reflect a shift in India’s freight strategy towards long-term resilience, digital integration, and ecological responsibility. Open web steel girders such as the one installed at Kalamboli are designed for durability and load-bearing efficiency, supporting the transport of heavier freight loads while minimising maintenance and environmental impact over their lifecycle. This approach is in sync with India’s broader urban and industrial development ambitions. As cities expand and demand for seamless logistics intensifies, the need for resilient, climate-friendly freight corridors becomes increasingly urgent. The Kalamboli flyover represents a step in that direction, enabling smoother cross-sectoral logistics that support industrial growth while reducing fossil fuel reliance.
The successful completion of the Kalamboli girder launch is not just a win for DFCCIL, but a signal of the country’s evolving capacity to deliver world-class infrastructure under complex conditions. As more such achievements roll out, India’s vision of a modern, equitable, and sustainable logistics ecosystem inches closer to reality.
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