Railways continues to have increased freight operations, passenger load
By Arun Kumar Das
New Delhi, June 2: Indian Railways continued to record a growth momentum in passenger and freight operations in May 2026 as against the corresponding month last year.
The Railways ferried 145 million tonnes of freight in May 2026, an increase of 1.3 per cent over May 2025.
In the passenger segment too, the public transporter achieved significant growth in bookings.
The freight growth was led by strong performance in Iron Ore, Steel, Fertilisers and Balance Other Goods segments, according to the Railways.
Among major commodities, Balance Other Goods registered a robust growth of 16 per cent, while Iron Ore loading increased by 4.8 per cent and Pig Iron and Finished Steel loading grew by 3.5 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.
Loading of fertilizers also recorded healthy growth of 6.2 per cent, reflecting the Railways’ commitment towards supporting key sectors of the economy.
Coal, which continues to constitute the largest share of railway freight traffic, maintained steady growth with loading increasing by nearly 1 per cent over the previous year.
To meet the requirements of thermal power plants and ensure energy security, Indian Railways accorded priority to coal movement and closely monitored its transit across the network.
Indian Railways has also intensified monitoring of both domestic and EXIM container traffic to facilitate seamless freight movement and support economic activity across regions.
On the passenger front, Indian Railways transported over 61 crore people during May 2026, compared to around 59 crore in the corresponding period last year.
The growth was primarily driven by the Non-Suburban segment, which recorded a 7.4 per cent increase, with passenger numbers rising from 28 crore to 30 crore.
In order to cater to the seasonal surge in travel demand, Indian Railways operated a large number of Summer Special Trains across various routes.
The national transporter is currently operating 164 Vande Bharat services, including the recently introduced Sleeper Vande Bharat service between Howrah and Kamakhya, while the number of Amrit Bharat services has reached 68, with three new services inaugurated during May 2026.
