Japan is likely to announce a multi-crore loan for the Western Corridor's first phase of construction on October 22, during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Tokyo. The Western Corridor is part of the Dedicated Freight Corridor. The loan, said to be the highest monetary aid by Japan to a single construction project overseas, is expected to be announced after talks between Singh and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.

The largest loan provided by Japan to India so far has been about 260 billion yen for the Delhi Metro project.

Under the DFC project, the railways will establish a separate electrified rail corridor between Delhi and Mumbai by 2015, to speed up and expand cargo traffic in the region.

The Japan Bank for International Corporation, which is to fund 85 per cent of the total cost, is currently conducting an environment and social impact study of the project's first phase, which is estimated to cost about Rs 25,000 crore (Rs 250 billion).

The total length of the electrified Western Corridor from Rewari to J N Port Trust is 1,426 km; in the first phase, work will begin between Rewari and Vadodara.

The alignment of work has been finalised with about 20 changes from the original route. "Deviations have been made at a few places to avoid congested areas and railway junctions between Rewari and Vadodara," said a senior railways ministry official. Changes in the alignment were necessary because heavy settlements were coming on the way along the 917-km long route, the official added. "Work on the second phase of the Western Corridor will be taken up after the formalities for the first phase is completed," the official said.

The Western Corridor will run double stack container trains with the highest pantograph (current collection device) in the world. Indian Railways will run the new generation pantograph at a height of 7.5 metres, which will enable double stack containers on flat wagons on the electrified route, the official said.

Though double stack containers are running in China, they are not the standard international containers as they run on a lower height. In the US, double stack containers run on non-electrified diesel locos.

"There was a successful trial run conducted between Daitari and Jakhapura in Orissa to establish a new height for the overhead electrical equipment line so that double stack containers can run on the electrified line," the official said.

The construction of the Dedicated Freight Corridor aims to link the ports of western India and the ports and mines of eastern India to Delhi and Punjab.