New Delhi: Indian Railways has canceled passenger trains to allow the speeding of coal trains in a bid to avert a power crisis. Gaurav Krishna Bansal, executive director, Indian Railways, one of the largest networks in Asia, said the move was temporary and would allow the restoration of passenger services once the situation returned to normal.
He said the government was trying to reduce the time it takes to move coal to power plants. Railways plans to add 100,000 more wagons. Special freight corridors are also being built for faster delivery of goods.
India’s electricity consumption is increasing due to rising temperatures. The power sector has seen a 70 percent increase so far. Coal reserves at power plants in India have fallen by about 17% since the beginning of this month, one-third of the required volume.
Many industrial enterprises have cut production due to fuel shortages. Even during the covid period, the Indian economy was in crisis. Attempts to overcome this have also led to an energy crisis. Inflation is likely to rise further as the government struggles to contain high energy prices following Russia’s occupation of Ukraine.
