Indian Railways Freight Rises Nearly 4% in February, Boosting Logistics

Indian Railways recorded steady growth in freight movement in February 2026, reinforcing its critical role in supporting India's industrial activity and logistics network. The national transporter carried 137.72 million tonnes (MT) of freight during the month, marking a 3.96% increase compared to 132.48 MT in February 2025.

Freight revenue also rose to ₹14,571.99 crore, up from ₹14,151.96 crore in the same month last year, reflecting a 2.97% year-on-year increase, according to official data.

Strong Growth in Freight Output

Indian Railways also registered growth in Net Tonne Kilometres (NTKM)—a key indicator of freight movement performance. NTKM reached 76,007 million in February 2026, compared with 72,955 million NTKM in February 2025, representing a 4.18% increase.

The performance highlights sustained demand for rail-based logistics across sectors, particularly for bulk commodities and industrial goods.

Core Commodities Drive Freight Demand

Freight movement during the month was largely driven by core sector commodities, including coal, iron ore, finished steel, fertilizers, cement and container traffic.

Daily freight loading data showed significant growth across several commodities:

• Iron Ore: 0.675 MT compared to 0.529 MT last year (up 27.6%)

• Pig Iron and Finished Steel: 0.343 MT vs 0.284 MT (up 20.8%)

• Raw Materials for Steel Plants (excluding Iron Ore): 0.141 MT vs 0.096 MT (up 46.9%)

• Fertilizers: 0.184 MT vs 0.167 MT (up 10.2%)

• Mineral Oil: 0.172 MT vs 0.146 MT (up 17.8%)

• Container EXIM Traffic: 0.251 MT vs 0.213 MT (up 17.8%)

The growth reflects rising demand from steel, agriculture, energy and international trade sectors, all of which rely heavily on rail logistics.

Strong Monthly Commodity Performance

In the cumulative commodity performance for February, several segments recorded robust year-on-year growth:

• Fertilizers: 5.396 MT vs 4.224 MT (up 27.7%)

• Clinker: 6.508 MT vs 5.421 MT (up 20.1%)

• Pig Iron and Finished Steel: 6.237 MT vs 5.522 MT (up 12.9%)

• Iron Ore: 16.370 MT vs 14.925 MT (up 9.7%)

• Container EXIM: 5.432 MT vs 5.142 MT (up 5.6%)

• Container Domestic: 2.015 MT vs 1.970 MT (up 2.3%)

The growth in container traffic indicates steady logistics demand from manufacturing and export sectors.

Strong Cumulative Performance in FY 2025–26

Indian Railways also recorded positive freight growth during the current financial year.

Between 1 April 2025 and 28 February 2026, the rail network transported 1,503.80 MT of freight, compared to 1,456.07 MT in the same period of the previous year—an increase of 3.28%.

Freight revenue during this period reached ₹1,60,987 crore, up from ₹1,58,539.86 crore, representing a 1.54% increase.

Total freight output measured in NTKM stood at 840,000 million, compared with 826,586 million NTKM during the same period last year, reflecting 1.62% growth.

Strengthening India's Logistics Backbone

Rail freight continues to remain one of the most economical and environmentally efficient modes of transporting bulk goods, enabling industries to move raw materials and finished products across long distances reliably and at lower cost.

Indian Railways is also strengthening freight operations through capacity augmentation, dedicated freight corridors, improved terminal infrastructure and digital freight management systems.

These initiatives are expected to enhance logistics efficiency, reduce transportation costs, and further strengthen the role of Indian Railways as the backbone of India's national logistics network while supporting long-term economic growth.