With the reduction of freight charges, the Indian Railways have set aside an ambitious target of doubling the transportation of cement to 200 metric tonnes by 2011-12 from the current 100 metric tonnes.

"Railways receive more than 100 MT traffic every year from the cement industry and we are targeting a loading of 200 MT from the cement industry in 2011-12," railway minister Lalu Prasad said while presenting the Railway Budget 2008-09 in Parliament.

Production of cement is expected to increase from 170 MT to 280 MT by 11th plan, he said adding "there are more than 10 big clusters of cement production in the country".

Prasad said work is in progress on Nandyal-Yerraguntla, Jaggayyapet-Mallacheruvu and Vishnupuram-Janpahad new lines and would be completed within the stipulated time frame.