Whitefield-Tughlakabad container train to cut freight transit time by 30%

Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti V Somanna on Saturday flagged off a new weekly container train service from Whitefield in Bengaluru to Tughlakabad in New Delhi, aimed at strengthening domestic freight movement and improving logistics connectivity between southern industrial hubs and the Delhi-NCR market.

The service, operated under the Railways’ “Assured Transit” model, guarantees a transit time of 166 hours for the roughly 2,500-km journey, Somanna said at the flag-off ceremony at Whitefield railway station.

“This is the first time such a service is being introduced in South India and it will greatly benefit industries in Karnataka,” Somanna said.


The train will depart from Whitefield every Saturday and travel via Tondiarpet in Chennai, which will serve as an aggregation hub. Containers from Bengaluru and other locations will be consolidated at Tondiarpet before being moved to Tughlakabad.

The assured transit time of 166 hours is about 30% lower than the current transit time, the minister said.

The service is expected to provide industries across Bengaluru and major industrial corridors in Karnataka with a more predictable and cost-effective freight link to Delhi-NCR. It will also help businesses improve inventory planning and logistics management.

Industrial clusters that can benefit include Hoskote, Whitefield, Malur, Bommasandra, Electronic City, Bidadi, Jigani, Anekal, Attibele, Dabaspet, Devanahalli, Peenya, Nelamangala, Hirehalli, Kunigal, Antharasana Halli and Vasanthanarasapura, besides the Mysuru corridor.

Industrial areas in Hosur and Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu will also be able to use the service.

Somanna, who represents Tumakuru in the Lok Sabha, said the service would particularly benefit industries in Tumakuru. Vasanthanarasapura in the district is a major industrial hub, while a Multi-Modal Logistics Park is also being developed there.

At present, cargo from Tumakuru can access the service through road-bridging arrangements. Once the container terminal at Thimmanahalli is developed, direct container services from Tumakuru to Tughlakabad are expected to be introduced, Somanna said.

The assured transit model is aimed at attracting more freight to the Railways while helping industry lower logistics costs and improve delivery predictability.

A similar assured-transit service was launched in October 2025 between Tughlakabad and Shalimar in Kolkata via Agra and Kanpur, with a guaranteed transit time of 120 hours.

The railways has introduced the new service in coordination with Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).