Indian Railways has recorded a major milestone by surpassing 1 billion tonnes of cumulative freight loading in FY 2025-26, reaching approximately 1,020 million tonnes as of 19 November 2025. This achievement reinforces the Railways’ expanding role in powering India’s industrial supply chains, reducing logistics costs, and supporting sustainable transportation.
What’s Driving the Growth?
Rail freight performance remains broad-based, with coal leading at ~505 MT, followed by key commodities such as iron ore (115 MT), cement (92 MT), containers (59 MT), steel (47 MT), fertilisers (42 MT), mineral oil (32 MT), foodgrains (30 MT) and other segments contributing ~74 MT. This diversified cargo mix demonstrates the Railways’ growing relevance across industries.
Robust Daily & Periodic Performance
Daily freight loading stands at 4.4 million tonnes, up from 4.2 Mt last year. Between April and October 2025, the Railways carried 935.1 MT, higher than 906.9 MT in the same period of 2024—reflecting consistent year-on-year growth.
Reforms Strengthening the Freight Ecosystem
To boost non-coal freight, especially cement, Indian Railways has rolled out:
- A Policy for Bulk Cement Terminals enabling faster, large-lot handling
- Rationalised container rates for bulk cement movement, lowering logistics costs
These steps are expected to improve turnaround times, increase industry adoption, and further shift freight towards rail.
Sustainability & Economic Impact
Rail-based freight movement reduces carbon emissions, eases highway congestion, and offers cost-efficient logistics solutions. This strengthens India’s climate commitments while boosting competitiveness across industries—including MSMEs.
Key Facts:
- Total freight loaded (FY 25–26 till 19 Nov): 1,020 MT
- Daily loading:4 Mt
- Apr–Oct 2025:1 MT
- Apr–Oct 2024:9 MT
- Coal contribution: 505 MT
Indian Railways’ continued reforms, rising freight volumes, and sustainability gains signal its growing role as a backbone of India’s economic and infrastructure transformation.
