Indian Railways crosses 1-billion-tonne freight loading, records over 3% year-on-year growth

The Railways has also registered a 3.11% increase in freight loading between April and October this FY compared to the same period last year, data showed, adding it loaded 935.1 million tonnes freight over these nine months — up from 906.9 million tonnes during the same period last year.

Coal continues to be the largest contributor to the Railways’ freight loading at 505 million tonnes — accounting for over half of the total, followed by iron ore (115 million tonnes), cement (92 million tonnes), container traffic (59 million tonnes), steel (47 million tonnes), fertilisers (42 million tonnes), and foodgrains (30 million tonnes).

The daily loading has also increased, averaging 4.4 million tonnes compared to 4.2 million tonnes last year, which shows the better utilisation of rolling stock and improved turnaround times.

The Railways has also introduced policy reforms, including the rollout of the Policy for Bulk Cement aimed at diversifying its freight segment, particularly in bulk commodities.

“The recent rollout of comprehensive reforms including the Policy for Bulk Cement Terminals and rationalised rates for bulk cement movement in containers, represents a strategic initiative to modernise cement transportation. It will increase bulk handling capacity, reduce transit time, and lower logistics costs, directly benefiting both industry players and end consumers,” a senior official of the Ministry of Railways said.

Shifting bulk goods movement to rail will yield multiple benefits that extend beyond mere commercial metrics, the official said. “It reduces carbon footprints, decongests the highways, and provides industries access to greener logistics solutions. It will also align freight operations with the holistic push towards Net Zero Carbon Emission targets.”

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