A train ride in India was once incomplete without the rattle of a passing coal-laden goods train. Throughout the 1990s, it was a familiar sight: black trains disappearing into the distance, leaving behind dust and diesel as they trudged along with unhurried intent. Coal was the fuel for progress, and rail the preferred carrier. Three decades on, while coal still holds its place, the railways are transporting far fewer commodities than before. Steel, iron and cement companies, which were once massive users of the rail network, have discovered a faster and more convenient way to transport their goods—trucks. Despite big bets involving billions of dollars, such as the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), the share of trains in overall goods movement has stubbornly refused to budge. Even the movement of foreign containers is declining.
