Gujarat is entirely dependent on thermal power. Therefore, coal has to be transported by either road or rail from the ports, or from the mines located in the country's eastern region. Gujarat's coal requirement for power generation is estimated at 12 million tonnes per year. At least 10 to 15 per cent of its demand is met by imported coal. However, while this kind of coal movement is expected to push up the railways' freight targets, the leads have fallen substantially in the region.
Leads refer to the distance goods are carried.
Gujarat falls under the Western Railway sector and leads in this region have dropped from 934 km to 923 km, according to data available till the end of November. This amounts to a drop of about 11 per cent over the previous year. A drop in leads usually reflects a drop in earnings, since shorter distances carry lower freight rates. However, in the western region, the fall has been compensated by an increase in the volumes. Cumulative traffic movement volumes , the majority of which is in the form of bulk goods , has increased from 20.19 million tonnes to 23.24 million tonnes.