Indian Railways freight loading climbs 6.14% in September as earnings rise

Indian Railways moved 135.35 million tonnes of freight in September 2026, up 6.14% from 127.52 million tonnes a year earlier, driven by broad demand across industrial and agricultural cargo.

Monthly freight revenue expanded alongside volumes, rising 9.3% year-on-year to generate an additional ₹1,266 crore, according to data released by the Ministry of Railways on Tuesday. The gains reflect steady momentum across key sectors, including power generation, cement manufacturing and grain distribution, supported by operational improvements across the national rail network.

Commodity growth across key sectors

Several industrial and bulk categories posted substantial growth during the month. Foodgrain loading led the expansion, jumping 25% compared to September 2025, while clinker dispatches rose 20% to meet steady construction demand. Domestic container traffic grew 10%, and coal loadings increased 9%.

Efforts to keep domestic power utilities stocked ahead of seasonal demand also showed results. Indian Railways supplied an average of 443 coal rakes per day to thermal power plants throughout September, up 11.6% from 397 rakes a day during the same month last year.

Half-year figures and freight targets

The September performance capped a solid first half of the financial year. Over the April to September 2026 period, cumulative rail freight reached 833.7 million tonnes, representing a 4.1% increase over the corresponding half of 2025. Total freight revenue across the six-month period grew 3.7%.

The national transporter is aiming for 1,765 million tonnes of freight loading across the full 2026–27 fiscal year, up from an estimated 1,670 to 1,700 million tonnes in 2025–26. Reaching that volume is expected to push annual freight revenue to ₹1.88 trillion, compared with roughly ₹1.78 trillion in the previous fiscal year.

The steady climb in volumes aligns with a broader push to lift rail's share of India's logistics traffic from under 30% to over 45% in the coming years. Capital spending on dedicated corridors, capacity additions for heavy industrial goods and targeted last-mile connectivity are designed to shift cargo away from roads and lower overall transport costs for the economy.