Indian Railways' Journey with Coal 1855-2023

With substantial new approach and global relevance, this book provides a chronological narrative of how policy priority, policy design and institutional structure for coal, railways and power sector in India co-evolved in phases with changing national priorities. I believe that this book is an extremely timely contribution and will surely help inject new insights and clear perspective for researchers and policy makers in India and inform the global discourse as well on shaping the smooth transitions for sustainable future for coal rich countries like India.

The book will be of considerable interest and use to the authors of global assessment reports and development community including academia, decision makers like national governments, bilateral and multilateral funding agencies, and civil societies engaged in developmental actions in the region. It will encourage more extensive studies in many other countries to advance deeper regional debate, struggle and understanding of the way forward. 　

– Joyashree Roy, Former Professor of Economics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India and Director, SMARTS Center, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.



In this path-breaking volume, A.K. Maitra has provided a much-needed historical account of the development of the railways and coal industry. The book is based on archival materials and the author's decades of experience handling coal transportation and related policies. The book serves as a bridge between academic history and critical policy studies. It will have a long shelf life.

– Ritajyoti Bandyopadhyay, PhD, FRHistS, FRAI. Author of Streets in Motion: The Making of Infrastructure, Property, and Political Culture in Twentieth-century Calcutta, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022