Coal Shortage: Indian Railways To Cancel Over 650 Trains To Ramp Up Coal Supply

Guwahati: In a bid to deal with the coal shortage which has triggered blackouts across the country, the India Railways is likely to cancel around 650 trains to give priority passage to coal rakes.

Reportedly, states have been facing difficulties in meeting the demand for electricity due to the coal shortage.

As per the several media reports, the 650 trains could be standstill till the third week of May. The cancelled trains include over 500 mail and express train trips, and 148 commuter train trips.

"The measure is temporary and passenger services will be restored as soon as the situation normalizes," Bloomberg quoted Gaurav Krishna Bansal, an executive director at Indian Railways as saying.

''The state-run operator is trying to minimize the time it takes to move coal to power plants,'' he added.

Amid the power crisis in the country, several states have expressed their concern over the possible shortage of coal in power plants that supply electricity to the country.

As per several reports, the states are struggling to meet the huge demand amid low production at power plants. From Jammu and Kashmir to Andhra Pradesh, consumers are facing power cuts ranging from two hours to eight hours.

Factories are most affected by power cuts. After the record heat in March in the country, the scorching heat continues in April as well.

However, both government and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) have claimed that there is enough coal available to meet the demand, but reportedly, coal reserves in power plants are at their lowest in nine years.

Also read: Coal Shortage: Several States Facing 2-8 Hours Blackouts As Power Crisis Deepens In India

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