Indian Railways fly ash transportation: The is planning a dedicated logistics network to transport nearly 340 million tonnes of fly ash generated annually by thermal power plants across the country. At present, Indian Railways transports only about 13 million tonnes of fly ash annually. On Thursday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held a high-level meet at Rail Bhawan to review plans for enabling the large-scale transportation of fly ash through the rail network.
Fly ash is one of the largest by-product of thermal power generation, poses both an environmental challenge and an economic opportunity. While it requires safe and sustainable management, fly ash also holds significant potential as a valuable resource for the infrastructure and industrial sectors.
According to the national transporter, the aim is to transport fly ash from thermal power plants to industries where it can be used for road construction, brick manufacturing, cement production and other infrastructure projects nationwide.
“Nearly 340 million tonnes of fly ash is generated every year from thermal power plants. For decades, this grey burden sat heavy around the smokestacks. Now, Indian Railways is changing that through a green initiative, creating a dedicated logistics network of specialised containers and rail corridors. This network will transport the waste material from where it is generated to where it is needed,” it said.
The wider transportation and utilisation of fly ash is expected to reduce pollution, promote the recycling of industrial waste and lower the cost of construction materials, including bricks and cement.
According to NTPC (2025), 32 per cent of the fly ash generated in 2024-25 was utilised in road and flyover construction, followed by 27 per cent in the cement industry and 14 per cent in brick and tile manufacturing. Backfilling and mine filling accounted for 11 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively, while the agriculture sector and ready-mix concrete (RMC) together represented only 1-2 per cent of total utilisation.
According to Railways, specially designed containers will be developed to enable seamless movement between trains and road trailers, facilitating efficient door-to-door logistics. The containers support mechanised loading and unloading, while minimising spillage and reducing handling and packaging losses compared to conventional bagged transportation methods.
