Freight loading rises nearly 4% on year in February 2026: Railway Ministry

New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) 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, the Ministry said on Friday.

"Freight revenue during the month stood at Rs 14,571.99 crore, up from Rs 14,151.96 crore in the corresponding month last year, reflecting a 2.97% increase," it added.

According to the Ministry, 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, fertilisers, cement, food grains and containers.

It stated that freight operations in February 2026 recorded steady growth compared with the same period last year, reflecting the sustained demand for rail-based logistics across sectors.

Highlighting its strong performance in terms of transport output, it mentioned that the 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.

"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, fertilisers, cement and container traffic," a Ministry's press note said.

It added, "Growth in commodities such as finished steel, iron ore and fertilisers contributed significantly to the overall freight performance." Officials claimed that the performance across key commodities also remained encouraging.

They said that in the daily freight loading position, commodities such as Iron Ore, Pig Iron and Finished Steel, Raw Materials for Steel Plants (excluding Iron Ore), Fertilisers, Mineral Oil and Container EXIM traffic recorded notable year-on-year growth.

In the monthly cumulative performance for February, several commodities registered strong growth compared to the same period last year, they added.

"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," the press note said. PTI JP MR