Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Indian Railways has taken a big decision to stabilise power crises in the country! Several passenger trains have been cancelled, so that coal-laden goods trains can run faster. According to the Ministry of Railways, about 670 trips of passenger trains are cancelled till May 24 (including the revocation of 16 Mail/Express and Passenger trains). Of these, over 500 trips are long-distance mail and express trains. However, the cancellation of passenger trains is a temporary measure.
Gaurav Krishna Bansal, executive director of Indian Railways, one of Asia's largest rail networks, said the cancellation of passenger trains is a temporary measure and passenger services will be restored as soon as the situation normalises. He declared that railways are trying to reduce the time taken to transport coal to power plants. Railways have also increased the number of coal rakes being loaded daily. It has grown to over 400. This is the highest in the last five years.
Power Crises in India
The demand for coal has increased due to scorching heat. About 70% of the country's electricity is produced from coal. Coal reserves at India's power plants have declined by about 17% since the beginning of this month. This is hardly a third of the required levels.
According to sources, Railways is trying to provide 415 rail rakes daily to meet the increased demand. Each of these goods trains is carrying about 3500 tonnes of coal. Railways will undertake a campaign to carry more coal for at least two months so that sufficient stock of coal can be deposited with the power plants.
