Indian Railways Freight Loading Surges 6.14% in Sept 2026
Indian Railways has demonstrated significant momentum in its freight operations, recording a 6.14% growth in loading during September 2026. This upward trend highlights the sustained demand for rail transportation across various critical sectors of the national economy.
Strong Tonnage and Revenue Growth
In September 2026, the railways successfully loaded 135.35 million tonnes of freight, a notable increase from the 127.52 million tonnes recorded during the same month in 2025. This growth is also reflected in the financial performance of the freight segment.
Freight revenue for September 2026 saw an increase of ₹1,266 crores compared to the previous year, marking a 9.3% rise. Looking at the cumulative performance for the first half of the financial year (April to September 2026), Indian Railways loaded 833.7 million tonnes of freight, representing a 4.1% growth over the corresponding period last year.
Commodity-Wise Performance Breakdown
The growth was driven by strong performance across several major commodity categories. The following segments saw significant increases in loading:
- Food Grain: 25% growth
- Clinker: 20% growth
- Domestic Container: 10% growth
- Coal: 9% growth
- Balance Other Goods: 8.2% growth
- Mineral Oil: 6% growth
- Finished Steel: 5.5% growth
- Iron Ore: 5.2% growth
Increased Coal Supply to Power Houses
To support the country's energy requirements, Indian Railways stepped up its domestic coal supply throughout September 2026. The average number of coal rakes supplied per day rose to 443 rakes, compared to 397 rakes per day in September 2025, an 11.6% increase in supply efficiency.
New Recruitment Opportunities for Graduates
In addition to these operational achievements, the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) have announced 3,548 graduate-level vacancies. These positions fall under the Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC–Graduate) recruitment through Centralised Employment Notification (CEN) No. 06/2026, providing a major opportunity for graduates to join the Indian Railways workforce.