ECoR tops freight loading as Railways earnings cross ₹1.7 trillion

East Coast Railway leads freight loading with record volumes in FY26 as Indian Railways earnings cross Rs 1.7 trillion, though revenue growth remains uneven across zones

East Coast Railway (ECoR) has emerged as the premier freight-handling zone of Indian Railways, achieving an all-time high freight loading of 286.26 million tonnes (mt) during the 2025–26 financial year, posting a significant year-on-year growth of 10.42 per cent.

 

ECoR continued to lead among 17 railway zones in freight performance, contributing 17.1 per cent of the total 1,669.9 mt freight loading achieved by Indian Railways during the last fiscal. This is the seventh consecutive year that the zone has crossed the 200 mt mark, reflecting its sustained leadership in freight loading and operational excellence.

 

Since the inception of the new zone, ECoR has consistently witnessed an incremental rise over the previous year’s performance in freight transportation. The freight loaded by the zonal railway was 27 mt more than that of the corresponding period of 2024–25 (259.25 mt).

 

As per official data, India’s railway freight loading touched 1,669.9 mt, registering a robust increase of 52.5 mt over the previous financial year. ECoR was followed by South East Central (SEC) at 261.25 mt and South Eastern (SE) at 210.4 mt. East Central Railway (ECR) closely trailed with 203.4 mt, as the top four zones together accounted for 57.5 per cent of the total freight loading.

 

Among other major contributors, South Central Railway (SCR) handled 147.9 mt, while Western Railway (WR) and Eastern Railway (ER) recorded 105.5 mt and 101.6 mt, respectively. Central Railway (CR) reported 79.3 mt, though it registered a marginal decline of 3.2 mt compared to last year.

 

Moderate growth was observed in zones such as West Central Railway (WCR) at 58.1 mt and South Western Railway (SWR) at 52.5 mt, both posting healthy increases. However, Northern Railway (NR) saw a dip of 3.4 mt, settling at 52.3 mt.

 

Freight earnings of Indian Railways registered modest growth in 2025–26, rising to ₹1,77,754.75 crore from ₹1,75,302.33 crore in the previous fiscal, even as performance across zones remained uneven, with several high-loading divisions reporting a decline in revenue.

 

Among the top earners, SEC Railway led the chart with freight revenue of ₹30,410.30 crore, followed closely by ECoR at ₹29,251.52 crore. ECoR recorded a strong 11.38 per cent increase in earnings, the highest among major zones, on the back of a sharp rise in loading, particularly coal and mineral traffic.

 

ECR reported ₹24,654.48 crore in freight earnings, though it saw a decline of 6.45 per cent compared to the previous year despite marginal growth in loading. Similarly, SER, traditionally a strong freight zone, posted a 4.73 per cent drop in revenue to ₹18,054.27 crore, even as its loading remained above 210 mt.

 

WR earned ₹14,097.92 crore, marking a 2.24 per cent increase, while SCR reported ₹13,574.91 crore with marginal growth of 0.3 per cent. ER, however, saw its earnings decline by 4.42 per cent to ₹8,864 crore. A notable concern emerged from CR and NR, both of which registered a contraction in freight revenues. CR earnings fell by 5.47 per cent to ₹8,296.4 crore, while NR saw a 5.07 per cent dip to ₹7,364.07 crore.

 

Among mid-sized zones, WCR and SWR stood out with strong double-digit growth in earnings — 15.03 per cent and 15.35 per cent — reaching ₹5,947.07 crore and ₹5,245.40 crore, respectively. Their performance indicated increasing diversification of freight streams beyond traditional mineral-heavy corridors.

 

On the other hand, North Central (NC) Railway also posted a healthy 12.25 per cent growth, with earnings rising to ₹2,291.45 crore, supported by a 12.57 per cent increase in loading. In contrast, North Eastern (NE) Railway recorded a sharp 15.02 per cent decline in revenue to ₹428.91 crore, despite stable loading levels.

 

Railway officials attributed the subdued revenue growth, despite higher volumes, to a combination of factors including rationalisation of freight rates, increased competition from road transport, and a changing commodity basket with relatively lower-yield goods.