Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), a subsidiary of Coal India, has inaugurated the Rs 1.1 billion Dalmia Railway Siding at Salanpur in West Bengal to strengthen coal evacuation and improve regional logistics.

ECL said the new rail facility will significantly enhance dispatch capacity while easing long-standing transportation bottlenecks. Spread across 70.21 acres, the siding includes two 650-metre coal loading platforms, a dedicated weighbridge and a total track length of 4.65 km. Designed to handle six million tonnes of coal annually, the siding will primarily rely on pay loaders, enabling greater operational flexibility and faster turnaround.

The project was executed by RITES and is connected to the Eastern Railway network under the Asansol Division. By shifting a substantial portion of coal movement from road to rail, the facility is expected to lower logistics costs, reduce congestion and support more environmentally sustainable transport across West Bengal’s coal-bearing belt. The commissioning marks a key step in strengthening rail-based evacuation infrastructure in eastern India.