February brought good tidings for Indian Railways, with freight revenue swelling 2.97% to ₹14,571.99 crore from ₹14,151.96 crore the previous year. Friday’s government release spotlights how core sectors are fueling this vital revenue stream.
Loading hit 137.72 MT, up 3.96% from 132.48 MT. Transport output climbed 4.18% to 76,007 million NTKM versus 72,955 million, underscoring enhanced productivity.
Iron ore loadings leaped 27.6% daily to 0.675 MT. Finished steel and raw iron rose 20.8% to 0.343 MT, steel plant inputs (ex-iron ore) by 46.9% to 0.141 MT. Fertilizer traffic grew 10.2% to 0.184 MT; mineral oils and EXIM containers by 17.8%.
Cumulative gains marked major categories monthly. Imported containers increased 5.6%, domestic 2.3%. From April 2025 to February 2026, 1,503.8 MT was loaded—3.28% above 1,456.07 MT. Revenue reached ₹1.61 lakh crore, NTKM up 1.62% to 840,000 million.
This performance reflects strategic shifts towards freight prioritization, reducing passenger-train interference via new corridors. As industries rebound, Railways’ freight arm stands as a growth engine for India’s economy.