Indian Railways Freight Loading Rises 5.4% in August as Passenger Traffic Also Grows

Indian Railways recorded a 5.4 per cent year-on-year increase in freight loading in August 2026, while passenger traffic also registered healthy growth, pointing to sustained demand for rail transportation across both the freight and passenger segments, the Ministry of Railways said on Sunday.

The national transporter loaded 137.9 million tonnes of freight during August, up from 130.9 million tonnes in the corresponding month last year. Freight revenue also increased by 6.27 per cent year-on-year during the month.

The growth was supported by higher loading across several key commodity segments. Iron ore recorded the sharpest increase among major commodities at 12.1 per cent, followed by clinker at 10.4 per cent, domestic containers at 9.2 per cent and coal at 6 per cent.

Finished steel loading grew 4.9 per cent, while mineral oil and fertiliser loading increased by 3.1 per cent and 1.6 per cent, respectively. Loading under the "other goods" category also rose 8.2 per cent.

The increase in freight volumes is significant for Indian Railways as higher cargo movement supports the supply chains of industries dependent on the transportation of raw materials, fuel and finished products. Rail freight also enables the movement of large volumes of commodities over long distances.

Indian Railways continued to expand its dedicated freight-handling infrastructure during August, commissioning five new Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals (GCTs). The terminals were commissioned at Shivlakha in Gujarat, Nalli in Tamil Nadu, Shaktinagar in Uttar Pradesh, Deoragram in Madhya Pradesh and Brajrajnagar in Odisha.

With the addition of these five facilities, the cumulative number of commissioned Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals reached 149 as of August 31, 2026.

The GCT network is intended to improve last-mile connectivity for freight by bringing cargo-handling facilities closer to production and consumption centres. The expansion is also aimed at making rail transport more convenient and efficient for industries and logistics operators.

Passenger traffic also maintained its growth momentum during the month. Indian Railways carried 67.27 crore passengers in August 2026, compared with 64.43 crore in August 2025.

Suburban services recorded particularly strong growth, with passenger numbers rising 9.02 per cent to 38.01 crore from 34.89 crore in the same month last year. The increase indicates continued reliance on rail services for daily and short-distance commuting in major urban and suburban corridors.

Railways also expanded regular passenger connectivity during August by regularising 14 Amrit Bharat services. With these additions, the total number of Amrit Bharat services reached 86.

The services regularised during the month include Subedarganj-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Gorakhpur-Bandra Terminus, Gorakhpur-Delhi Jn, Ahmedabad-Bhagalpur, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Prayagraj Jn, Prayagraj Jn-Udhna Jn and Dhanbad-Coimbatore, among others.

The latest figures show growth across both freight and passenger operations, while the continued expansion of cargo terminals and passenger services indicates Indian Railways' broader focus on increasing capacity, improving connectivity and strengthening its role in the country's transportation and logistics network.