Railways crosses 1 billion tonne freight loading by November 19, signals strong growth in FY 25-26

Indian Railways has crossed a major freight milestone this financial year, recording 1,020 million tonnes of cumulative loading as of November 19. The ministry said the achievement reflects strong demand from multiple core sectors, with coal contributing the largest share at 505 million tonnes, followed by iron ore, cement, container traffic, steel products, fertilisers, mineral oil, foodgrains and raw materials for steel plants.

Daily loading has also seen a steady rise, averaging 4.4 million tonnes—higher than last year’s 4.2 million tonnes—indicating improved network efficiency and consistent industrial movement. From April to October, freight loading touched 935.1 million tonnes, compared to 906.9 million tonnes in the same period of the previous year, marking healthy year-on-year growth.

The ministry highlighted recent reforms aimed at modernising cement logistics, including the Policy for Bulk Cement Terminals and rationalised container rates for bulk movement. These steps are intended to increase handling capacity, reduce transit times and lower overall logistics costs, offering significant advantages to industries and consumers.

The Railways said the shift of bulk cargo to rail continues to reduce carbon emissions, decongest highways and make greener logistics accessible even to smaller industries. The ministry added that these developments support India’s broader goals of sustainable economic expansion and progress toward Net Zero emission targets.