Railway freight earnings second-highest since Covid, quantity carried grows

Nearly half the goods transported is coal; share of food grains declines

The Indian Railways carried more goods in December 2023 than the same time last year, making more money than any month bar one since the pandemic.

The railways made Rs 15,098 crore by carrying freight in December 2023. The number was higher only in March 2023 when it earned Rs 15,769 crore, according to data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).

While the absolute value of earnings is up, growth slowed down to 3.6 per cent in December 2023. It was the second month in a row that the growth rate declined. It was 6.6 per cent in