Indian Railways has crossed the 1-billion-tonne (bt) freight loading milestone in 2025-26. As of November 19, cumulative loading stood at 1,020 million tonnes (mt), supported by higher daily throughput of around 4.4 mt, up from 4.2 mt a year earlier, the ministry said on Saturday.
Coal remained the largest contributor at 505 mt, followed by iron ore (115 mt), cement (92 mt), containers (59 mt), steel (47 mt), fertilisers (42 mt), mineral oil (32 mt), foodgrains (30 mt) and raw materials for steel plants (20 mt). Other commodities accounted for 74 mt.
Freight loading between April and October rose to 935.1 mt, compared with 906.9 mt last year, reflecting steady year-on-year growth.
The ministry said targeted sector reforms, especially in cement logistics are contributing to the momentum. These include the new policy for bulk cement terminals and rationalised freight rates for cement moved in containers.
The ministry said in a statement that rising rail-based freight supports lower logistics costs and aligns with national clean-transportation goals.