The Railways is set to boost the number of rakes for transporting coal to thermal plants, which are reeling under pressure from high power demand during the summer season and low coal stocks.
A government official told The Indian Express that Railways will increase the number of rakes for transporting coal to powerhouses to 415 per day from about 380 in the first half of April, after a review meeting by the Ministers of Home, Power, Railways, and Coal.
Coal-based thermal power meets about 75 per cent of the country’s requirements. Several states, including Punjab, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh, have faced power outages due to low coal inventories.
