Railways to add 1,500 wagons to their fleet each month to transport coal

01 Mar 2023 CW Team

The railways have increased wagon production, adding nearly 1,500 of them, or 30 freight trains, every month only for coal transportation ahead of the summer.

Amid strong indications of an early summer and a spike in electricity demand, efforts are being made to ensure adequate and sufficient supply of coal to power plants and avoid situations such as last summer, when they had to cancel a large number of passenger trains for coal movement.

The production of waggons has more than doubled and till January of the 2022-23 financial year, we have produced over 17,000 waggons and nearly 50 per cent of these are meant for carrying coal. Railways prioritise this area. Aside from accelerating the addition of more waggons to our system, there is a greater emphasis on expediting approvals for all important coal movement projects.

Peak power demand in India is expected to reach 230 GW in 2023, up from 211GW in January, which was close to an all-time high of 216 GW in April 2022.

During this time, the railways took the drastic step of cancelling nearly 700 passenger trains in order to rush coal to the country's thermal power plants. Given the railways' track record of giving priority to passenger trains over freight trains, this was seen as an exception.

Also read:
CSMT Redevelopment Project to Be awarded In Mid-March
DMRC receives the first locally developed signaling system

Infrastructure Urban

06 Apr 2026

InsideFPV Delivers ₹10 Crore Kamikaze Drone Order Under MoD’s EPR Route

InsideFPV, a Surat-based drone technology manufacturer, has successfully executed a ₹10 crore defence contract to supply indigenous kamikaze drones under the Ministry of Defence’s Emergency Procurement Route (EPR). The company completed the delivery of hundreds of FPV kamikaze drone platforms within a rapid two-month timeframe, highlighting its ability to meet urgent military procurement timelines.The supply orders were fulfilled under the emergency procurement mechanism, which is aimed at fast-tracking acquisitions for immediate operational needs. InsideFPV’s quick execution reflects it..

Vedanta Resources Secures Fitch Upgrade to ‘BB-’, Best Rating Since 2015

Vedanta Resources Limited (VRL), a global player in metals, oil & gas, critical minerals, power and technology, has received a credit rating upgrade from Fitch Ratings, marking its strongest bond rating in over a decade.Fitch has raised Vedanta Resources’ Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘BB-’ from ‘B+’, while maintaining a Stable Outlook. The agency also upgraded VRL’s senior unsecured rating, along with the ratings of US dollar-denominated bonds issued by Vedanta Resources Finance II Plc and guaranteed by VRL, to ‘BB-’.The upgrade represents Vedan..

NAREDCO NextGen NCR Chapter Launched

The NAREDCO NextGen NCR Chapter was recently launched at Excelerate 2026 in Mumbai, marking a key step towards integrating emerging real estate leaders from the National Capital Region with the national platform. The initiative aims to promote sustainable and responsible urban development through collaboration and knowledge exchange.The event brought together young developers, entrepreneurs, and professionals from across NCR, including Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Bhiwadi, and Meerut. Discussions focused on urban development, finance, sustainability, innovation, and policy, emphasisi..