10 hours of Power-Cut in 16 states; 670 rounds of 16 passenger trains were reduced to increase coal supply

Due to the scorching heat, the demand for electricity is increasing across the country. In such a situation, a quarter of the country's power plants are closed. As a result, power cuts of up to 10 hours have started in 16 states. According to government records, 10,000 MW, or 150 million units, are being cut across the country, but the power shortage is actually much greater. Meanwhile, the Railway Ministry has taken a big step. Railways have canceled several passenger trains till May 24 for a faster supply of coal to power plants so that goods trains carrying coal can reach the designated stations on time.

According to Indian Railways Executive Director Gaurav Krishna Bansal, the decision to cancel passenger trains is temporary. Services will be resumed as soon as the situation normalizes. After this decision, Railways is going to add one lakh more wagons to its fleet. Apart from this, Railways is also building dedicated freight corridors for faster movement of goods.

The temporarily canceled trains include long-distance mail and express 500 trains. Along with this, the Railways have also increased the average daily loading of coal rakes to more than 400. This figure is the highest in the last 5 years. Railways are hauling 415 coal rakes per day to meet the current demand for coal. Each of these coal rakes holds 3500 tonnes of coal.