China's H1 rail coal shipments edge up 3% on steady utilities demand

China's national railway system transported 1.051 billion tonnes of coal in the first half of 2026, up by about 3% from the 1.02 billion tonnes hauled a year earlier, according to China State Railway Group. Deliveries to thermal power plants edged up to 701 million tonnes from 695 million tonnes in H1 2025, according to Railway Group data.

Total rail freight reached 2.015 billion tonnes during the period, rising 1.8% on year, which was slower than the 3% growth recorded during January-June last year. Coal accounted for about 52% of total freight railed during the six months, broadly unchanged from a year earlier. Meanwhile, the share of rail