Electrified railways stretch domestic coal

Rail electrification would reduce demand for imported diesel and avoid burning high-grade coal inefficiently in individual steam locomotives. Central power stations could use lower-quality domestic coal and distribute the resulting electricity across the transport network. Building the generating capacity, grid, and railway equipment would require a sustained multi-year program rather than an emergency wartime measure. The objective is resilience, rather than an invulnerable or self-sufficient economy. Domestic capacity and stockpiles would stretch reserves and give leaders time to adapt when sanctions or disrupted imports created a crisis.