16 passenger trains pulled off tracks daily to rush coal rakes to plants

The spike in coal requirement due to the steep increase in electricity demand has forced the Indian Railways to cancel around 16 mail/express and passenger trains daily to create extra paths for rakes carrying the key ingredient to power plants located across the country. So far, more than 670 such passenger trains have been cancelled.

- Dipak Dash

The railways has also increased the average daily loading of coal rakes to more than 400, which is the highest ever in the past five years.

Sources said the national transporter has committed to provide 415 coal rakes daily, each carrying around 3,500 tonnes, to meet the current demand. They added that this drill will continue for at least two more months to improve stocks at power plants and avoid any crisis in July-August when coal mining is least due to rain.