Indian Railways Hits Record Freight Loading in October 2026
Indian Railways achieved record freight loading of 145.07 million tonnes in October 2026, driven by food grains and coal demand.
Indian Railways has achieved a historic milestone, reporting its highest-ever freight loading for the month of October. According to the latest performance data released by the Ministry of Railways, the organization successfully moved a staggering 145.07 million tonnes of goods during October 2026.
This massive achievement marks an 8.32% increase compared to the 133.93 million tonnes recorded in October 2025, signaling a robust period of economic activity and operational success for the national carrier.
Key Commodities Driving the Freight Surge
The significant growth in freight volume was powered by a diverse range of commodities, with food grains and coal leading the way. The specific growth rates for key goods include:
- Food grains: A massive 26.3% increase.
- Domestic coal: Rose by 16.0%.
- Other goods: Grew by 11.0%.
- Clinker: Increased by 10.4%.
- Domestic containers: Up by 6.3%.
- Iron ore: Saw a 5.0% rise.
- Mineral oil: Grew by 1.9%.
- Finished steel: Recorded a 0.5% increase.
To keep pace with rising power demands, the supply of coal via rail has also seen a significant boost. The average daily supply of coal rakes reached 469.8 per day in October 2026, which is a 19.5% jump from the 393.2 rakes per day moved in the same month last year.
Cumulative Performance and Passenger Traffic Growth
The momentum has been consistent throughout the year. From April to October 2026, the cumulative freight loading reached 978.78 million tonnes, marking a 4.67% increase over the 935.10 million tonnes transported during the same period in 2025.
In addition to freight, passenger traffic also showed upward trends. In October 2026, Indian Railways transported 64.72 crore passengers, compared to 63.52 crore in October 2025. For the cumulative period from April to October 2026, total passenger traffic reached 443.8 crore, up from 431.4 crore in the previous year.
Passenger Traffic Breakdown
The growth in passenger movement was observed across both suburban and non-suburban sectors:
- Non-suburban traffic: Recorded a growth of 4.2%.
- Suburban traffic: Grew by 1.7%.
The Ministry of Railways stated that these performance metrics reflect the organization's ongoing commitment to enhancing logistics, infrastructure capacity, and operational efficiency to support India's broader economic growth.