Mumbai, June 26 -- In a review meeting chaired by Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, the ministry outlined a plan to enable large-scale transportation of fly ash through the national railway network. The initiative is designed to move fly ash efficiently from thermal power plants to industries where it will be used in road construction, brick manufacture and cement production. Union Ministers of State V. Somanna and Ravneet Singh Bittu were present at the meeting. The ministry issued guidance for implementation across zones.
Nearly 340 million tonnes (mn t) of fly ash are generated every year by thermal power plants, and the volume has long presented logistical and environmental challenges. Indian Railways will create a dedicated logistics network of specialised containers and rail corridors to transport the material from generation points to consumption hubs. The network will link power stations with cement plants, brick manufacturers and construction yards across the country. The scheme will use scheduled freight services and dedicated rakes to ensure timely pickups and deliveries nationwide.
Fly ash is a usable raw material for cement, concrete, blocks and boards, and its systematic movement will improve material availability and affordability. More affordable fly ash will reduce the cost of bricks and lower cement prices, supporting wider access to housing across urban and rural India. Transport in sealed containers will also limit dust and contamination during transit and handling.
The programme reframes a waste management challenge as a circular economy opportunity in which discarded ash becomes a building resource for infrastructure development. Contained within rail wagons and purpose-built logistics systems, the material will travel cleanly to manufacturing sites and construction projects. Officials described the plan as a step towards aligning air and land transport policy with national infrastructure objectives. Coordination with industry partners will standardise collection points and optimise load factors.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.