India’s rail network emits 11.5 grams of CO₂ per tonne-km versus 101 grams by road — an 89% reduction in transport emission intensity, confirmed by the Ministry of Railways citing NITI Aayog data. Rail also costs Rs 1.96 per tonne-km against Rs 3.78 for road (DPIIT-NCAER September 2025 — the first systematic study of India’s logistics costs). The break-even distance for multimodal transport over pure road is 600 km with 50 km first/last-mile each side. Yet road carries approximately 65 to 70% of India’s freight. This article maps the cost and carbon case for modal shift, why the break-even dynamics matter specifically for steel, cement, and fertiliser shippers, and how the Dedicated Freight Corridors change the economics for the industrial corridors that matter most.