India's Sagar Cement announced will commission its INR1200m (US$18.7m), 7km private railway line next month. This line will connect Sagar’s plant, near Matampally, in Nalgonda, Andhra Pradesh, with the main railway line.

S Sreekanth Reddy, Sagar Cement’s executive director, said: “The company had already received its first train and full commercial operations will begin after safety checks by end of July”.

The railway line is likely to boost the company’s market reach as well as slash freight costs. Moreover, the firm said that the savings will be in the form of cheaper inward and outward freight although dispatch volumes will play a key role in the latter.