"Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) has commissioned a new railway siding valued at ₹110 crore to streamline and accelerate coal evacuation."

Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, recently unveiled the Dalmia Railway Siding in the Salanpur area of West Bengal, marking a significant step towards strengthening coal evacuation and rail logistics in the region. The project, which cost ₹110 crore, was inaugurated by ECL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Satish Jha, accompanied by senior officials and employees of the company.

The new facility is set to enhance coal dispatch capacity by enabling faster, more efficient, and reliable transportation, alleviating existing logistical bottlenecks in the Salanpur region. With a designed evacuation capacity of 6 million tonnes per annum, the colliery siding features two 650-meter coal-loading platforms, a dedicated railway weighbridge, and a total track length of 4.65 km, including a 2.25 km siding route.

To further streamline operations, coal loading will be carried out using pay loaders, ensuring flexibility in the process. The project was executed by RITES Ltd and integrated into the Eastern Railway network under the Asansol Division, with Salanpur as the designated serving station.

Spanning 70.21 acres, the rail-linked facility includes land from both ECL and Eastern Railway. According to ECL, this new siding will substantially reduce dependence on road transport, improve turnaround time, lower logistics costs, and promote environmentally sustainable coal movement.

With this development, ECL aims to bolster the efficiency and sustainability of its coal operations while contributing to the growth of the region’s rail logistics infrastructure.