A recent study conducted by the Railway Board underscores the urgent need for dedicated coal transportation corridors to meet India's growing demand for power, according to a report by ET. The study highlights that the majority of coal transportation originates from Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh to various regions in the north, west, and southeast of the country. The report emphasizes the necessity of establishing exclusive railway tracks for coal transportation along these routes. It specifically recommends prioritizing the development of coal corridors in alignment with dedicated freight corridors (DFC), particularly the east coast DFC and the eastern section of the east-west DFC. These corridors would facilitate the movement of coal, especially from Talacher to ports along the eastern coastline. Estimates suggest that India's energy requirements will surge to approximately 3,000 billion units (BU) annually by 2030, driven by an anticipated population of 1.51 billion. Per capita energy consumption in India is expected to reach around 2,000 units annually by 2030. The study underscores the potential consequences of any energy shortfall, which could severely impact the country's growth, leading to shortages or outages across various sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, and transport. Furthermore, the study anticipates a significant increase in India's coal consumption, projected to reach 1,853 million tonnes (mt) by 2030. This projection takes into account the nation's robust economic growth rate and the expected per capita energy consumption in 2030. Notably, this revised estimate exceeds the figures outlined in the National Rail Plan, which had initially estimated coal consumption at 1,547 mt. To address this surging demand, the Railway Board's traffic, transportation, and business research unit have identified and listed 615 priority projects in a previous report. These projects include 132 super-critical-I projects slated for completion in fiscal year 2024-25, 184 super-critical-II projects with a target completion date in fiscal year 2026-27, and 299 critical projects scheduled for completion in fiscal year 2027-28.