Amid the intensive rescue operation to free the 41 workers trapped in the Uttarakashi tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand, the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) joined hands with Indian Railways to transport essential equipment, an official DFCCIL statement said on Wednesday.

As part of this collaboration, a special train carried the necessary equipment for the rescue mission from Karambeli in Gujarat to Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, covering a route of 1605 km. The train journeyed between New Sanand and New Khatauli along the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) alignment, spanning 1075 km in a duration of 18 hours and 38 minutes across Tuesday and Wednesday.

Operating at a Maximum Permissible Speed of 95% throughout the DFC route, DFCCIL is dedicated to supporting fellow Indians during times of crisis, the statement said. Leveraging its attributes of speed, capacity, and efficiency, the DFC serves as a freight expressway, proving instrumental in transporting critical rescue equipment.

What are dedicated freight corridors?

The Dedicated Freight Corridors along the Eastern and Western sectors of the Golden Quadrilateral were developed in light of the surging domestic economy, growing infrastructure projects, and the expanding international trade scene.

The Golden Quadrilateral refers to a national highway network interlinking major industrial, agricultural, and cultural hubs across India. It creates a quadrilateral shape, with Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai positioned at its vertices.

The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) was established specifically to handle the planning, financing, construction, operations, maintenance, and business expansion related to these dedicated freight corridors. Incorporated on October 30, 2006, under the Company’s Act 1956, DFCCIL operates as a schedule A company.

Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Rescue operation updates

-The rescue operation, as of Wednesday evening, entered the ‘final phase’, with officials saying that ‘good news is likely’ at any moment. The readiness of ambulances and the summoning of doctors to the disaster site signaled a collective effort involving multiple agencies to free 41 men trapped in the Silkyara tunnel.

-According to the PTI news agency, officials disclosed during a 4 pm press briefing at Silkyara on Wednesday that an additional six-meter section of the rescue pipe had been inserted as an auger machine worked through the debris in the collapsed tunnel segment.

-Based on earlier data provided, a 45 metres of the escape passage had been constructed, accounting for a portion of the estimated 57-metre debris stretch beyond which the workers remained trapped for over 10 days.

-After inserting the pipe, which is slightly less than a meter wide, workers will have the means to crawl out through it. A team of 15 doctors, including chest specialists, has been stationed at the site in preparation for the evacuation process. While twelve ambulances were on standby initially, the intention was to have a fleet of 40 ready for immediate deployment. Additionally, there were plans to allocate a helicopter for the operation.

-Nearby the under-construction tunnel on the Char Dham route, an ad hoc hospital with eight beds has been established.

-Officials reiterated that another six-meter section of the rescue pipe had been inserted, continuing the drilling process through the collapsed tunnel debris.