A steady climb in commodity demand propelled Indian Railways’ freight revenue to new heights in February, up 2.97% year-over-year at 14,571.99 crore rupees. The government’s Friday disclosure spotlights a sector firing on all cylinders.
Outpacing last February’s 14,151.96 crore, the upswing came with freight loaded at 137.72 million tonnes—a 3.96% gain over 132.48 million tonnes. Transport productivity via NTKM rose 4.18% to 76,007 million, from 72,955 million.
The growth engine hummed with coal, iron ore, steel products, fertilizers, cement, and containers at the forefront. Notably, daily iron ore volumes swelled 27.6% to 0.675 MT. Raw and finished steel loadings advanced 20.8% to 0.343 MT.
Other highlights included a 46.9% surge in steel plant inputs to 0.141 MT (excluding iron ore), 10.2% fertilizer growth to 0.184 MT, and 17.8% rise in mineral oils/containers EXIM.
Container segments thrived: imports +5.6%, domestic +2.3%. From April 2025 to February 2026, total freight hit 1,503.8 MT (up 3.28% from 1,456.07 MT), revenue at 1.61 lakh crore, and NTKM at 840,000 million (+1.62%).
As India accelerates infrastructure upgrades, these metrics herald a transformative era for rail freight, bolstering economic connectivity and competitiveness on the global stage.