Railways Q1 freight loading up 2% as steel, food grain shipments grow

The Railways recorded double-digit growth of pig iron and finished steel, food grain, and container handling during the first quarter of 2025-26. But coal, cement, and fertiliser loading moderated during April to June.

Overall, the national transporter registered 2% higher freight loading compared to a year-ago levels during the first quarter at 413 million tonnes (mt). Total earnings during the quarter also rose 2% to ₹44,870.4 crore, officials privy to the data told ET.

Coal comprises a little over half the total freight loading of the railways, a trend which continued during the June quarter. The railways carried around 209.1 mt of coal during the quarter, 1.7 mt higher than the same period last fiscal.

For the month of June, total rail freight loading rose 1% year on year to 136.7 mt. Earnings, however, were 0.3 % lower at ₹14,749.8 crore due to lesser coal loading during the month. Officials said there was 2% lower coal loading, at 67.8 mt, in June due to early rains and enough availability at power plants.

In a statement issued last week, the railways ministry said coal stock at thermal power plants across the country reached an all-time high of 61.3 million tonnes. It is sufficient to meet 25 days of India's consumption.

This record stockpile is possible due to mechanised loading of coal onto wagons - called silo loading. Officials said the coal stock at Indian power plants is now more than Canada's total coal production. "Wagons available for non-coal freight increased during Q1," a senior official told ET.