China's coal rail shipments reach 870 mln t in Jan-May

China's railway network hauled 870 million tonnes of coal during the first five months of 2026, up by 3% from the 845 million tonnes transported in the same period last year, according to data released by the National Railway Administration (NRA).

Thermal coal, mainly used for power generation, accounted for about two-thirds of the total, reaching 580 million tonnes over January-May, slightly higher than the 575 million tonnes recorded a year earlier, NRA data showed. The steady increase in coal rail transport underscores the resilience of China's domestic supply of the