Indian Railways faces the task of expanding its coal transportation capacity from 660 million tonnes (MT) annually to 1,200 MT by 2030 to meet growing energy demands, according to a study by the Traffic, Transportation and Business Research (TT&BR) Unit of the national railway network.
The report emphasises the importance of prioritising the construction of the proposed East-West and East Coast Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) to ensure a steady flow of coal to thermal power plants.
This recommendation coincides with ongoing government reviews of expanding DFC projects. With energy requirements predicted to reach around 3,000 billion units by 2030, any shortfall could severely impact the nation’s growth across various sectors.
Railways currently transport approximately 65 percent of the coal needed for power generation, but the report anticipates a shift to a 65 percent thermal and 35 percent non-thermal energy mix by 2030.
