State-owned Coal India (CIL) has achieved a significant operational milestone by despatching around 375 million tonnes (MT) of coal through the rail mode, with the entire quantity sampled by independent third-party sampling agencies (TPSAs), till December of the current financial year. The achievement marks the highest volume of coal despatched through rail with third-party sampling in the company’s history.Announcing the development, the company said, “Till December FY 2026, CIL has despatched about 375 million tonnes (MTs) of coal through rail mode which was sampled by TPSAs.” The milestone underlines CIL’s growing emphasis on quality assurance, transparency and supply chain reliability at a time when domestic coal demand continues to rise, particularly from the power sector.The volume reflects the successful implementation of government-mandated third-party sampling protocols aimed at ensuring unbiased quality checks, reducing disputes with power producers and curbing pilferage. Of the total coal despatched through rail, around 50 per cent was loaded through silos equipped with automated mechanical samplers, helping maintain higher standards of quality control. CIL is targeting to raise this share to nearly 80 per cent during the current fiscal year.To meet this objective, the company is accelerating the commissioning of new first mile connectivity projects and expanding silo-based loading infrastructure across its subsidiaries. At present, 11 TPSAs empanelled by Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFCL) are engaged in coal sampling and analysis at CIL’s loading points. Coal consumers are allowed to choose a TPSA of their preference from the empanelled agencies.CIL has also initiated online coal quality analysis at two of its subsidiaries to enable real-time assessment and enhance transparency. While acknowledging the inherent heterogeneity of domestic coal, the company said the adoption of technology-driven quality assessment has become a key focus area. Coal India currently accounts for over 80 per cent of India’s domestic coal production.News source: Business Standard