Rail freight up 10% in April 1-May 25 over 2019: Government

Indian Railways’ freight loading rose more than 10% to 203.88 million tonne (MT) during April 1- May 25 from 184.88 MT in the same period in 2019, the government said Wednesday. At a review meeting with zones and divisions with Chairman & CEO Railway Board, General Managers and Divisional Railway Managers, railway minister Piyush Goyal directed the officials to go aggressively for full utilisation of record capex allocation, the government said in a statement.

“Goyal directed the officials to go aggressively for full utilisation of record capex allocation. Completion of infrastructure works would generate employment as well especially in challenging Covid times,” the railway ministry said in the statement.

He also said that more efforts must be made for developing infrastructure like good sheds, terminals, last mile electrification towards sheds, mechanisation of loading unloading etc to make things more efficient and easy for all operators.


Emphasising on the the railways being a self sustainable organization, Goyal also said that railways need to further enhance manpower efficiency in operations and there was a lot of scope of improvement in workshops as far as that is concerned.

“Mindset of Railways has transformed. It’s no longer business as usual for Railways,” the ministry quoted Goyal as saying.

The minister said that Oxygen Expresses have served the Nation in an extra ordinary manner and were game changer in the fight against Covid and the front line staff has risen to occasion.