Railway Freight loading increased in February 2026
By Arun Kumar Das
New Delhi, Mar 7: Indian Railways carried 137.72 million tonnes of freight in February 2026, registering a 3.96 per cent increase compared to 132.48 million tonnes in February 2025, a steady growth reflecting the sustained demand for rail-based logistics across sectors.
Indian Railways continues to play a crucial role in supporting the country’s economic activity by ensuring efficient transportation of essential commodities such as coal, steel, fertilizers, cement, food grains and containers.
During February 2026, Freight revenue during the month stood at ₹14,571.99 crore, up from ₹14,151.96 crore in the corresponding month last year, reflecting a 2.97 per cent increase.
Railways also recorded strong performance in terms of transport output. Net Tonne Kilometres (NTKM), which is a key indicator of freight movement, reached 76,007 million NTKM in February 2026, compared with 72,955 million NTKM in February 2025, registering a 4.18 per cent growth.
Growth Driven by Core Commodities:
A significant portion of freight traffic continues to be driven by core sector commodities. During the month, Indian Railways transported large volumes of coal, iron ore, finished steel, fertilizers, cement and container traffic. Growth in commodities such as finished steel, iron ore and fertilizers contributed significantly to the overall freight performance.
Performance across key commodities also remained encouraging. In the daily freight loading position, commodities such as Iron Ore, Pig Iron and Finished Steel, Raw Materials for Steel Plants (excluding Iron Ore), Fertilizers, Mineral Oil and Container EXIM traffic recorded notable year-on-year growth. Iron Ore loading stood at 0.675 million tonnes compared to 0.529 million tonnes last year (up 27.6 per cent), while Pig Iron and Finished Steel registered 0.343 million tonnes compared to 0.284 million tonnes last year (up 20.8%). Raw Materials for Steel Plants (excluding Iron Ore) grew to 0.141 million tonnes from 0.096 million tonnes (up 46.9 per cent). Similarly, Fertilizer loading increased to 0.184 million tonnes from 0.167 million tonnes (up 10.2 per cent), Mineral Oil to 0.172 million tonnes from 0.146 million tonnes (up 17.8 per cent), and Container EXIM traffic to 0.251 million tonnes from 0.213 million tonnes (up 17.8 per cent).
In the monthly cumulative performance for February, several commodities registered strong growth compared to the same period last year. Fertilizer loading increased to 5.396 million tonnes from 4.224 million tonnes (up 27.7 per cent), while Clinker rose to 6.508 million tonnes from 5.421 million tonnes (up 20.1 per cent).
Pig Iron and Finished Steel loading reached 6.237 million tonnes compared to 5.522 million tonnes (up 12.9 per cent), and Iron Ore grew to 16.370 million tonnes from 14.925 million tonnes (up 9.7 per cent). Growth was also observed in Container EXIM traffic (5.432 million tonnes vs 5.142 million tonnes, up 5.6 per cent) and Container Domestic traffic (2.015 million tonnes vs 1.970 million tonnes, up 2.3 per cent), indicating sustained demand across key industrial and logistics segments.
Rail freight remains one of the most economical and environmentally efficient modes of transportation for bulk goods, helping industries move raw materials and finished products across long distances in a reliable and cost-effective manner.
Strong Cumulative Freight Performance in FY 2025–26:
Indian Railways has also recorded positive growth in cumulative freight performance during the current financial year.
During the period April 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, Indian Railways carried 1,503.80 million tonnes of freight, compared with 1,456.07 million tonnes during the same period of the previous year, registering a 3.28 per cent increase.
Freight revenue during this period reached ₹1,60,987 crore, as compared to ₹1,58,539.86 crore in the corresponding period last year, marking a 1.54 per cent increase. (BVI)
