Amazon expands rail freight on the Western DFC

Amazon India has expanded its operations on Indian Railways’ Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, in collaboration with the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL). The expansion strengthens the role of rail transport within Amazon’s multimodal transportation network across northern and western India, ahead of the festive season.

The inaugural Joint Parcel Product-Rapid Cargo Service (JPP-RCS) train on the Western DFC was flagged off at New Dadri Railway Station on 18 August 2026 by Dr. Manoj Singh, Member (Operations and Business Development), Railway Board, and Kishore Lanka, Director-Operations, Amazon India. Amazon becomes the first ecommerce company to operate on that service. The announcement page was last updated on 21 August 2026.

The daily rail movement will connect Amazon’s northern and western network, with over 10 Van Parcels on the route, across Delhi, Ahmedabad and Surat, with onward connectivity to Pune, Mumbai and Goa. The Western DFC spans approximately 1,504 kilometres from New Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal near Mumbai. It builds on a 2023 launch on the 659 km Rewari-Palanpur section, and on work with Indian Railways that began in 2019. That network has grown from a single train then to more than 140 trains across 130 intercity routes connecting over 100 destination cities.

Kishore Lanka said: “By expanding our use of dedicated freight infrastructure, we are increasing multimodality across our transportation network and leveraging rail as an economical, reliable, and sustainable mode of transportation.”

Dr. Manoj Singh described the corridor rather than Amazon’s volumes: “The DFC offers a greener, faster and more reliable mode of transportation, enabling cargo to travel overnight and reach its destination the next day. With the ability to move 350-400 tonnes within 24 hours, this service offers an economical and sustainable freight solution, including opportunities for smaller businesses to benefit from the DFC network.” No emissions figure, transit time saved or cost figure is given.

That closing clause is the part to sit with. Rail primary movement has in practice been an option at Amazon’s scale, where one shipper fills a daily lane, and nothing here says a smaller brand can book this service today. What would have to be true is repeatable volume on a fixed lane and a destination node that can take an overnight arrival. Before festive peak, ask your 3PL whether it aggregates onto DFC rail, and on which lanes.