New Delhi, October 23, 2026: Indian Railways recorded a 22.5% increase in coal loading during the first 18 days of October 2026 compared with the same period last year, with daily coal rake dispatches rising by an average of 87.
The Ministry of Railways, which announced the figures on October 22, described the performance as an all-time coal-loading record for the period. A coal rake refers to a set of railway wagons used to transport coal.
During April–September 2026, the first half of the financial year 2026–27, Indian Railways dispatched an average of 430 coal rakes per day to thermal power plants, an increase of 7.1% over the corresponding period of the previous year.
According to the ministry, the increase in coal transportation comes amid rising energy consumption and greater demand for coal-based electricity generation, driven partly by higher industrial production and deficient rainfall in some parts of the country.
In a separate statement issued on October 12, the Ministry of Coal reported that coal stocks at domestic coal-based power plants stood at 18.205 million tonnes on October 10, compared with 18.932 million tonnes on September 29. Although inventories declined between the two dates, the ministry said the pace of depletion had slowed considerably in early October as coal supplies improved.
The Ministry of Railways said it was coordinating with the Ministries of Coal and Power to maintain coal transportation and support adequate fuel supplies to thermal power stations across the country.
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