New Delhi: According to the Railway Ministry on Saturday, the cumulative loading this year has surpassed the 1 billion-tonne threshold, hitting 1,020 million tonnes as of November 19. Railways' freight performance continues to bolster India's economic foundation.
"This milestone reflects broad-based support from key sectors: coal remains the largest contributor at 505 MT, followed by iron ore , cement , container traffic , pig iron & finished steel , fertilisers , mineral oil , foodgrains , raw materials for steel plants , and balance-other-goods ," the ministry said in a press release.
"Daily loading continues to hold strong at around 4.4 MT, higher than 4.2 MT last year, demonstrating improved operational efficiency and sustained demand," it stated.

Using a comparison, it emphasized that freight loading from April to October further highlights this upward trend, reaching 935.1 MT in 2025 as opposed to 906.9 MT in the same time the previous year, indicating a strong year-over-year increase.
"This sustained momentum, combined with improved daily loading rates, demonstrates Railways' capacity to support India's industrial expansion and infrastructure development," added the memo.
"Recognising the critical role of cement in India's infrastructure growth, Railways has taken significant steps to optimise this segment's logistics capabilities," it stated.
The ministry highlighted the recent implementation of extensive reforms, such as the Policy for Bulk Cement Terminals and rationalized prices for bulk cement transit in containers, and stated that these developments constituted a strategic initiative to modernize cement transportation.

"These actions are intended to boost bulk handling capacity, shorten transit times, and cut logistics expenses, which will directly benefit industry participants and final consumers while increasing supply chain efficiency. According to the government, sectoral transformation is sparked by such focused actions.
The ministry claims that moving big commodities by rail has several advantages that go beyond only financial gains.
"It reduces carbon footprints, decongests highways, and provides industries, including MSMEs, access to greener logistics solutions," added the letter.
"These developments reinforce India's commitment to sustainable growth, aligning freight operations with the nation's journey towards Net Zero Carbon Emission targets and positioning Railways as a catalyst for both economic and environmental progress," it stated.