CIL to monitor rake movements to enhance supplies through rail mode

PSU miner Coal India (CIL) would shortly start monitoring the movements of coal loaded rakes through the Indian Railway’s Freight Operation Information System (FIOS). This would help the miner rationalise its entire coal supply matrix by obtained information of a rake’s turnaround time which down the line would enable the company push more coal via the rail mode.

CIL has signed an MOU with the Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) to get faster and customised automated access to the FIOS data, providing CIL the details of loading, weighment and unloading along with the turnaround time of rakes. The freight operation information between the networks of CIL and CRIS would help minimise the instances of underloading and overloading while also facilitating faster billing and bill monitoring process replacing the manual entry of railway receipts with instantaneous online transfer.

The data sets would provide CIL information on sanctioned coal and rake programmes, rake demand, rake detention and diversion details helping the CIL subsidiaries plan their supplies. The pact with CRIS assumes greater significance since CIL is pushing for increased rail evacuation to gradually reduce the road movement of the dry fuel. “The real time data helps us in better planning” said a senior executive of the company.

CIL’s coal movement through rail mode from its own sidings, goods sheds and private washeries was 302.51 million tonne (MT) up to February 20 this fiscal. This accounted for 61% of the total offtake quantity. But considering the coal movement of 92.8 MT through its merry-go-round system, a dedicated rail mode transport, the percentage increases to 79%. Both CIL and CRIS would collaborate for further improvement in data sharing with periodical reviews, the CIL executive said, adding that the period for the MOU is one year.