The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corp. of India Ltd (DFCCIL), operator of India’s rail freight corridors, launched a state-of-the-art crew lobby and running room at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Junction in Uttar Pradesh. Inaugurating the facility on February 19, Pravin Kumar, Managing Director, DFCCIL, remarked, “Our focus is not just on laying tracks, but also on the people who give motion to the wheels on these tracks. This running room is a symbol of our respect for our loco pilots and our commitment to safety.”
Welcoming dignitaries, Atul Kumar, Chief General Manager, DDU, emphasised that the new facility is “a robust bridge between DFCCIL’s world-class infrastructure and the frontline running staff of Indian Railways.” He stressed DFCCIL’s commitment to ensuring loco pilots get sufficient rest between shifts.
The facility’s primary objective is to provide a stress-free, comfortable resting environment for loco pilots. It is equipped with 150 beds, a modular mess, a yoga centre, and a library-cum-reading room, with an entire floor designed exclusively for women loco pilots.
Under CGM Atul Kumar’s supervision, barren land was transformed into a green building completed within the stipulated timeline. The structure uses double glazing unit (DGU) glass and autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks, ensuring superior thermal insulation and energy conservation. It has been constructed to the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Gold Certification standards.
Other notable dignitaries present on the occasion included Shobhit Bhatnagar, Director, Operations & Business Development, DFCCIL; Pankaj Saxena, Director, Project Planning, DFCCIL; Yatendra Kumar, Principal Chief Electrical Engineer, North Central Railway; Rajnish Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, Prayagraj; and Uday Singh Meena, Divisional Railway Manager, DDU.
Speakers also lauded the vision of Pravin Kumar, under whose leadership DFCCIL successfully operationalised the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors. His strategic guidance has led the government to entrust DFCCIL with the prestigious East-West Corridor, stretching from Dankuni to Surat.