Indian Railways: Record Growth in Passenger & Freight – FY26
Freight train on an elevated track in India.
Key Highlights
Indian Railways reports record growth in passenger and freight operations for FY26, highlighting its vital role in India’s transport infrastructure. Key stats inside!
Indian Railways has announced significant growth in both passenger traffic and freight operations for the fiscal year 2025-26. This performance reinforces the railway’s critical role within India’s broader transport and logistics infrastructure.
Passenger traffic experienced a 3.5% increase, with the railway transporting 741 crore passengers. This generated approximately ₹80,000 crore in revenue, marking a 6% rise.
Freight operations also reached new milestones, handling 1,670 million tonnes (MT), a 3.25% increase compared to the previous fiscal year. The number of wagons handled increased by 4.5%. Sectors demonstrating particularly strong growth included fertilisers, which saw a 13.5% increase, and pig iron and finished steel, which grew by 13.1%. Infrastructure-related commodities also contributed to this growth, with iron ore increasing by 6.7% and cement by 4.7%.
Freight earnings totaled approximately ₹1,77,754 crore, representing a 1.44% increase. Iron ore emerged as the leading revenue generator within the freight sector.
These achievements highlight Indian Railways’ dedication to enhancing operational efficiency and expanding capacity. These efforts are crucial for improving national connectivity and supporting overall economic growth.