South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) to strengthen coal logistics and rail transportation networks across India. The strategic collaboration focuses on railway rake provisioning under GPWIS and equivalent schemes, integrated transportation services and multimodal solutions. The agreement forms part of initiatives guided by the Ministry of Coal to enhance coal evacuation efficiency and secure fuel supply to power, steel, cement and other core sectors.

The partnership aims to deliver reliable and dedicated rail logistics solutions that increase dispatch efficiency and reduce logistical bottlenecks. The MoU envisages collaboration on dedicated railway rake operations, integrated coal transportation, first-mile and last-mile connectivity and deployment of digital systems for real-time logistics monitoring and operational efficiency. Both organisations will explore long-term transportation arrangements, multimodal linkages and joint operational frameworks for provisioning and operation of GPWIS or equivalent rakes.

The framework envisages joint planning for integrated rail logistics services and measures to optimise rake utilisation across supply chains serving thermal power plants and core industries. The agreement was signed in the presence of Harish Duhan, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of SECL, and Santosh Sinha, Managing Director of CWC, with functional directors and senior officials from both organisations attending the ceremony. The collaboration is expected to support smoother coal movement from mines to consumers without service interruptions.

SECL, the second largest coal producing subsidiary of Coal India Limited, continues to play a pivotal role in meeting the country's coal demand. In the ongoing financial year 2026-27, Coal India Limited has crossed the 100 million (mn) tonne (t) production mark, with SECL contributing over 26.8 mn t. CWC, a Navaratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Government of India, is a leading organisation in integrated logistics and warehousing with extensive experience in rail-linked cargo movement and multimodal transportation solutions. The partnership is intended to strengthen end-to-end coal evacuation and support national energy security.