Indian Railways' Freight Earnings Shoot Up By 11.1% In June

Indian Railways is one of the most efficient and extensive modes of transport in India. Every day, lakhs of passengers use the Indian railways to travel to different parts of the country. According to the figures released, the Indian Railways achieved a freight loading of 135.46 million metric tonnes in June this year, which represents a robust 10.07 percent increase over the corresponding figure of 123.06 million metric tonnes in the same month last year. In June 2024, Indian Railways freight earnings went up to Rs 14,798.11 crore. Last year, in June, the earnings from freight were Rs 13,316.81 crore.

In terms of commodities in the month of June 2024, Indian Railways had a loading of 60.27 million tonnes (MT) in coal (excluding imported coal), 8.82 MT in imported coal, 15.07 MT of iron ore, 5.36 MT in pig iron and finished steel, 7.56 MT in cement (Excl. Clinker), 5.28 MT in clinker, 4.21 MT in foodgrains, 5.30 MT in fertilisers, 4.18 MT in mineral oil, 6.97 MT in containers, and 10.06 MT in balance other goods.

Indian Railways have revealed in a statement, “Under the mantra, ‘Hungry for Cargo’, the organisation has made sustained efforts to improve the ease of doing business as well as improve service delivery at competitive prices.” They also added that their customer-centric approach and constant efforts to improve and enhance the business development units have enabled them to achieve substantial results in freight earnings this month. They have also aimed to improve their delivery services at competitive prices, which have also played a crucial role in their success.

In June last year, the volumes of freight were lower, primarily due to the lower demand for coal. This happened due to unseasonal rains caused by cyclone Biporjoy, which resulted in major disruptions and halts at various stations. There were several sections of the railway that were halted as well due to the aftermath of the Balasore train accident. The increase in demand for coal increased this year, resulting in a substantial rise in national transporters’ freight volumes and earnings.