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India's Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has launched a new policy to diversify commodity transport via rail, focusing on bulk cement. The policy introduces a rationalised freight rate of Rs 0.90 per tonne per kilometre, replacing variable slab-based rates. This aims to make cement transportation more cost-effective by 30% and environmentally friendly, encouraging a shift from bagged to bulk cement. The Railways will also facilitate bulk cement terminals nationwide, targeting an increase in its share of bulk cement transport from 17% to 30% within five years.