China's Shanxi has pushed for a shift from trucks to rail for coal transportation in a bid to reduce vehicle tailpipe emissions. A document released recently by the Shanxi ecology and environment bureau said designated railway lines should be built to connect all major coal mines in the province this year.
Rail shipping within the province should account for more than 80 percent of coal and coke transportation this year, while the two commodities should only be railed when leaving the province. This would mean a rapid shift given that coal rail haulage currently accounts for only 40-50 percent of overall coal transportation within the province, and about 80 percent of coal is shipped out of the province by rail.
The shift from trucks to railways for hauling coal could raise costs over short distances but is likely to reduce logistics costs for long-distance transportation. China has gradually banned coal inbound deliveries by trucks to most coal handling ports since 2017 in a bid to combat air pollution problems.
