Indian Railways is seeing growth in freight and passenger traffic

Railways handled 142.21 million tonnes of cargo during June 2026 as compared to 136.71 million tonnes in the corresponding month last year, an increase of 4%. File. | Photo credit: The Hindu

Indian Railways recorded steady growth in both freight and passenger traffic in June 2026 compared to the same month last year (2025), according to a statement issued by the Union Ministry of Railways.

Railways handled 142.21 million tonnes of cargo during June 2026 as compared to 136.71 million tonnes in the corresponding month last year, an increase of 4%. “Freight revenue has also seen healthy growth, generating additional revenue of around ₹ 430 crore, a growth of 3% over June 2025,” it said.

Fertilizer load increased by 19.1%, Balance and other goods category by 17.3%, iron ore by 9.4%, domestic coal by 4.9%, coal in total by 3.6% and clinker by 7.2%.

During the first quarter of FY2026-27 (April-June), the railways handled 419.08 million tonnes of cargo, compared to 413.05 million tonnes during the corresponding period of FY2025-26.

The quarter also saw growth across key commodity segments, with iron ore loading up 7.44%, clinker up 6.54% and ‘Balance and Other Commodities’ up 12.16% over the same period last year.

“To meet increased demand from thermal power plants during the extended summer season, Indian Railways has stepped up domestic coal movement and delivered 7% more coal to power plants during June 2026 compared to the corresponding month last year,” it said.

Railways carried 63.81 million passengers compared to 62.37 million passengers during the corresponding month in 2025.

The non-suburban segment, comprising short and long-haul travel, saw growth of 3.9%, with the number of passengers increasing from 28.90 million to 30.04 million. The suburban segment also saw a positive growth of 0.9%, from 33.46 million to 33.77 million passengers.

The number of Vande Bharat services has increased to 164, including the recently introduced Vande Bharat sleeper service between Howrah and Kamakhya, Guwahati. The number of Amrit Bharat train services reached 72, with four new services launched in June 2026.

Published – 02 Jul 2026 23:17 IST