New Delhi: Railways freight revenue reached ₹14,571 crore in February 2026 as Indian Railways recorded steady growth in freight transport driven by strong demand for steel, iron ore and fertilizer movement.
Indian Railways carried 137.72 million tonnes of freight during the month. This marked a 3.96 percent rise compared with 132.48 million tonnes in February last year.
Freight revenue also increased to ₹14,571.99 crore in February 2026. The figure stood at ₹14,151.96 crore in the same month last year, showing a 2.97 percent growth.
Transport performance improved during the month as well. Net Tonne Kilometres reached 76,007 million NTKM in February 2026, compared with 72,955 million NTKM a year earlier.
This represented a growth of 4.18 percent in freight movement across the network.
Railways freight revenue rises with growth in core commodities
Core sector commodities continued to drive freight movement during the month. Indian Railways transported large volumes of coal, iron ore, finished steel, fertilizers, cement and containers.
Iron ore loading recorded strong growth during the daily freight loading assessment. It reached 0.675 million tonnes compared with 0.529 million tonnes last year, showing a 27.6 percent increase.
Pig iron and finished steel loading also increased to 0.343 million tonnes from 0.284 million tonnes last year. This represented a growth of 20.8 percent.
Raw materials for steel plants, excluding iron ore, rose sharply to 0.141 million tonnes from 0.096 million tonnes, reflecting a 46.9 percent increase.
Fertilizer loading increased to 0.184 million tonnes from 0.167 million tonnes last year. Mineral oil loading also rose to 0.172 million tonnes from 0.146 million tonnes.
Container EXIM traffic reached 0.251 million tonnes compared with 0.213 million tonnes in the previous year.
Monthly cumulative data for February also showed strong growth across commodities. Fertilizer loading rose to 5.396 million tonnes from 4.224 million tonnes, marking a 27.7 percent increase.
Clinker traffic increased to 6.508 million tonnes from 5.421 million tonnes. Pig iron and finished steel loading reached 6.237 million tonnes compared with 5.522 million tonnes last year.
Iron ore transport also grew to 16.370 million tonnes from 14.925 million tonnes.
Container traffic also expanded. Container EXIM traffic rose to 5.432 million tonnes from 5.142 million tonnes. Domestic container movement increased to 2.015 million tonnes from 1.970 million tonnes.
Rail freight continues to remain one of the most economical and environmentally efficient modes for transporting bulk goods across long distances.
Indian Railways has also recorded positive cumulative freight performance during the current financial year.
Between April 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026, Indian Railways carried 1,503.80 million tonnes of freight. This was higher than 1,456.07 million tonnes during the same period last year.
Freight revenue during the period reached ₹1,60,987 crore compared with ₹1,58,539.86 crore a year earlier.
Total freight movement measured in NTKM stood at 840,000 million during the period, compared with 826,586 million NTKM in the previous year.
Railways said continued investment in freight corridors, terminal infrastructure and digital freight systems is helping improve logistics efficiency.
These measures are expected to support industries and strengthen the country’s logistics network.
