Indian Railway crosses 1 Billion Ton Freight Loading in FY 2025-2026

Indian Railways is the backbone of the country’s logistics sector, demonstrating to be carrying more than 1.6 Billon tons of freight traffic every year over a network of 68000 kms. With the entire network touching almost every district of the country, it plays a crucial role in facilitating a balanced and inclusive socio economic development of the country.

Carrying almost all commodities including bulk commodities like Coal, Iron ore, Iron & Steel, Food grains, Cement, Petroleum products, Fertiliser and other commodities those which are carried in containers. Indian Railways feels proud to serve more than 9,000 customers. Proven to be the most environment friendly mode of land transportation, railways ushers a new horizon in offering competitive rates and timely delivery of cargoes.

• 102506397 Carbon Emission Saved;
• 1388 Daily Rake Loadings;
• 3329 Indents a Day;
• 392350 Wagons;
• 18110 Locomotives;
• 1675 e-Payment Customers.

Rail Green Point (RGP) –

To make freight customers aware about how much carbon emission they have saved by opting to transport by Railways in comparison with road, Indian Railways have decided to credit Rail Green Points (RGPs) to the customers. The carbon saving is estimated in terms of Tons CO₂ and credited to the customer as Rail Green Points (RGPs). A RGP account is maintained for every freight customer on his dashboard. Once Railway Receipt (RR) is generated, the RGPs earned are credited to the RGP account of the customer. The cumulative RGPs of a customer are shown in his RGP account on Freight Business Development portal.

Indian Railways’ freight performance continues to strengthen India’s economic backbone, with cumulative loading this year crossing the 01 billion tons mark, reaching 1020 Million Tons (Metric Tons) as of 19th November.

This milestone reflects broad-based support from key sectors: coal remains the largest contributor at 505 Metric Tons, followed by iron ore (115 Metric Tons), cement (92 Metric Tons), container traffic (59 Metric Tons), pig iron & finished steel (47 Metric Tons), fertilisers (42 Metric Tons), mineral oil (32 Metric Tons), foodgrains (30 Metric Tons), raw materials for steel plants (approx. 20 Metric Tons), and balance-other-goods (74 Metric Tons). Daily loading continues to hold strong at around 4.4 Metric Tons, higher than 4.2 Metric Tons last year, demonstrating improved operational efficiency and sustained demand.

Freight loading between April to October further underscores this positive trajectory, touching 935.1 Metric Tons in 2025, compared to 906.9 Metric Tons during the same period last year, marking a healthy year-on-year growth. This sustained momentum, combined with improved daily loading rates, demonstrates Railways’ capacity to support India’s industrial expansion and infrastructure development.

Recognising the critical role of cement in India’s infrastructure growth, Railways has taken significant steps to optimise this segment’s logistics capabilities. The recent rollout of comprehensive reforms including the Policy for Bulk Cement Terminals and rationalised rates for bulk cement movement in containers, represents a strategic initiative to modernise cement transportation. These measures aim to increase bulk handling capacity, reduce transit time, and lower logistics costs, directly benefiting both industry players and end consumers while driving greater efficiency across the supply chain. Such targeted interventions catalyze sectoral transformation.

Shifting bulk goods movement to rail yields multiple benefits that extend beyond mere commercial metrics. It reduces carbon footprints, decongests highways, and provides industries including MSMEs access to greener logistics solutions. These developments reinforce India’s commitment to sustainable growth, aligning freight operations with the nation’s journey towards Net Zero Carbon Emission targets and positioning Railways as a catalyst for both economic and environmental progress.

Team Maverick