Indian Railways sets October freight record at 145.07 million tonnes

Indian Railways loaded 145.07 million tonnes of freight in October 2026, its highest total for the month and an 8.32% increase from 133.93 million tonnes a year earlier. Food grains recorded the fastest growth among the commodities reported, at 26.3%, while domestic coal loading rose 16% as power stations required more fuel, the Ministry of Railways said on 4 November.

The network carried 11.14 million additional tonnes in October compared with the same month last year. That accounted for just over a quarter of the 43.68 million tonnes of additional freight loaded in the first seven months of the 2026–27 financial year.

Domestic container loading grew 6.3% year on year in October, following a 10% increase in September. Clinker, an intermediate product used in cement manufacturing, recorded double-digit growth for a second consecutive month. Its loading rose 10.4% in October after a 20% increase in September.

Food grain traffic grew faster in October than in September, when loading had risen 25%. Iron ore maintained a steadier pace, with a 5% increase in October following 5.2% growth the previous month. Among the other cargo categories, October loading rose 1.9% for mineral oil, 0.5% for finished steel and 11% for the ministry’s “balance other goods” category.

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