Railway freight rises 3.5% in Feb; thermal coal volumes increase 8%

According to sector watchers, the numbers suggest that the railways will comfortably meet its budgeted target of 1475 Mt in the current fiscal year

Slow freight growth in the second half of FY23 continued to impact railways, with freight volumes in February at 124 million tonnes (mt), just 3.55 per cent higher than the same period last year.

Overall coal volumes in February grew 5.7 per cent, while the same for thermal coal rose 8 per cent, indicating that the Centre started early preparation for summer, when power demand peaks.

Last year, an overload on logistics, coupled with coal shortage, caused a nationwide power crisis. This year, the Centre has plans in the works to avert one. “The cumulative freight loading from April 2022