Indian Railways has recorded a significant 170% increase in cement movement over the last four months, following a series of reforms introduced to modernise bulk cement transportation. The reforms, launched in November, aim to encourage a shift from road-based transportation to cleaner and more efficient rail logistics.
A key part of the initiative is the introduction of customised bulk cement tank containers and a new bulk cement terminal policy. These measures enable cement to move directly from manufacturing plants to consumption centres, reducing multiple handling stages and improving overall supply-chain efficiency.
According to Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the new system has also simplified loading and unloading while helping reduce material losses. The container-based approach significantly cuts dust generation, lowers fuel consumption and reduces emissions, making cement transportation more environmentally friendly.
The reforms could also open new opportunities for transporting fly ash, a major by-product of thermal power plants. India generates nearly 300 million metric tonnes of fly ash annually, but only around 13 million tonnes is currently transported by Railways.
The Railways Ministry is now looking to increase its role in transporting fly ash to cement plants, brick kilns and construction sites. This could turn an industrial waste product into a valuable resource for infrastructure development, supporting India’s broader push towards efficient, sustainable and multimodal logistics.
