DP World has expanded its intermodal rail network in India with the launch of two double-stack container rail services connecting Jawaharlal Nehru Port to inland terminals in the country's northern and western regions . The services represent a significant enhancement of JNPA's hinterland connectivity, allowing containerised cargo to move between the port and key consumption and industrial centres on rail rather than road, with the associated benefits of lower cost per tonne-kilometre and reduced congestion at port gates.
The first service has been operating since September 2026 and connects JNPA with Pali/Rewari, Jhattipur–Panipat and Modinagar in the National Capital Region . This corridor serves one of India's largest concentrations of import demand, encompassing the Delhi metropolitan area and the industrial belt of Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. The second service links JNPA with ICD Sachana near Ahmedabad, extending the network into Gujarat's industrial heartland . Together, the two services create a rail-based logistics bridge between India's largest container gateway and two of its most significant inland markets.
The enabling infrastructure for both services is the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, which was fully commissioned in September 2026 . The WDFC provides a dedicated freight-only track between Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and JNPT in Maharashtra, freeing container trains from the congestion and prioritisation constraints of the mixed-use Indian Railways network. Double-stack operations, in which two containers are stacked vertically on a single flat wagon, are only feasible on routes with sufficient vertical clearance, and the WDFC was designed and built to accommodate this configuration. The result is a step-change in capacity per train and a reduction in the cost per container moved.
For DP World, the services extend its presence beyond the port gate into the inland logistics chain. The company operates terminal infrastructure at JNPA and has been building out its inland container depot and rail-linked network in India as part of a broader strategy to capture value across the supply chain rather than solely at the waterfront. The double-stack services allow DP World to offer port users a rail product that competes with road haulage on cost and reliability, particularly for long-haul movements where road transport is most expensive and least efficient.
The commercial logic is reinforced by India's freight policy direction. The government has prioritised the shift of containerised cargo from road to rail as part of its broader logistics cost reduction agenda, and the DFC network is the primary instrument for achieving that shift. Double-stack rail on the WDFC offers a lower carbon footprint per container than road haulage, aligning with the sustainability objectives that increasingly feature in shipper procurement decisions. For exporters and importers in the National Capital Region and Gujarat, the new services provide a rail option that was previously unavailable at this level of capacity and efficiency.
The timing of the launch is also relevant to the broader container logistics environment. Indian container traffic has been growing, with domestic container traffic up 10% in September 2026 according to Indian Railways data . Port volumes have been strong, with Adani Ports reporting 15% cargo growth in the September quarter. The new double-stack services add capacity to a system that is experiencing rising demand, and they do so on a corridor where road congestion and driver shortages have historically constrained reliability.
For JNPA, the services strengthen its position as a gateway port with effective hinterland connectivity. The port has been investing in rail infrastructure and encouraging modal shift as part of its effort to reduce truck congestion and improve throughput. DP World's double-stack services complement these efforts by providing a commercial rail product that shippers can use, rather than relying solely on port authority initiatives. The result is a more integrated logistics offering that makes JNPA more competitive against other west coast ports for cargo destined for northern and western India.
Looking ahead, the success of the double-stack services will depend on utilisation rates, schedule reliability, and the competitiveness of rail pricing against road haulage for specific origin-destination pairs. The WDFC's dedicated track should support reliable transit times, but the terminal handling at both ends and the availability of wagons will determine whether the services deliver on their promise. For DP World, the services are an important test of its ability to operate as an integrated logistics provider in India, not merely a terminal operator. For India's container logistics sector, they represent a concrete step toward the modal shift that the DFC programme was designed to enable.