The other Chinese benchmark the Indian Railways wants to match, if not better, is the number of wagons carried by a goods train. In China, even at that high speed, the average is 150 wagons, whereas the average in India is 65 wagons. Now, imagine the increase in productivity because of such a manifold increase in haulage and a similar decrease in delivery and turnaround time. “The freight corridor will ultimately benefit customers through improved services and better efficiency,” says Singh.

Finding the money for this ambitious Rs 65,000 crore freight corridor project is not going to be easy for an entity that is making more and more money, but is never short of takers for that surplus. Given its growth trajectory and its current state of finances, the Railways is capable of part-funding the freight corridor project. For 2005-06, the Railways is expected to post a net profit of Rs 12,966 crore, which, officials say, is likely to double this year. So, the Railways plans to use about Rs 8,500 crore of its own funds to finance the first phase of this project. The Railways is also talking to the government of Japan to extend loans at lower than market rates for the project.

The rail lines are one link in this grand and intricate design. Another crucial link is finding synergies with its main competitor — roads — which has a cost advantage over the Railways in transporting lighter goods. So, it is looking to build partnerships with road transporters to move freight between rail depots and interior areas. The opportunity presented by a growing economy and inadequate infrastructure to make that big leap is there. So is the intent on the part of the Railways. But how they’re executed over the next few years remains to be tracked.