Freight

Railways crossed 1 bn tonne freight loading by November 19 in FY 25-26

Railways' freight performance continues to strengthen India's economic backbone, with cumulative loading this year surpassing the 1 billion-tonne mark, reaching 1,020 million tonnes as of November 19, the Railway Ministry said on Saturday. "This milestone reflects broad-based support from key sectors: coal remains the largest contributor at 505 MT, followed by iron ore (115 MT), cement (92 MT), container traffic (59 MT), pig iron & finished steel (47 MT), fertilisers (42 MT), mineral oil (32 MT), foodgrains (30 MT), raw materials for steel plants (approx. 20 MT), and balance-other-goods (74 MT)," a press note from the ministry stated. "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 added. Drawing a comparison, it emphasised that freight loading between April to October further underscores this positive trajectory, touching 935.1 MT in 2025, compared to 906.9 MT during ..

Vaishnaw inaugurates Sonik logistics hub, launches 2 new freight services

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, virtually inaugurated the Sonik Integrated Logistics Hub and flagged off two new Door-to-Door Freight and Parcel Services on Tuesday.The Union Minister said that door-to-door services are essential for the country, as they will enhance efficiency and significantly reduce logistics costs. He highlighted that industries can now send a specific number of containers without the need to fill an entire rake to their destination.Vaishnaw added that the logistical gap between factories and the loading/unloading points of trains will now be bridged by Indian Railways through comprehensive door-to-door services. He further stated that goods sheds or logistics terminals will be equipped with facilities for stuffing and de-stuffing containers, enabling customers to benefit from the new service model fully.The Union Minister mentioned that Sonik has become the first ...

Muted coal, cement movement drags rail freight growth to 2% in Q1

In rare instance, coal freight earnings dropped in Q1; experts cite import drop

US reciprocal tariffs' fallout: Supply chains brace for disruption

For context, global sea freight rates had been going down over the past few months due to a previous build up which had caused rates to spike abnormally in 2024

DMRC, Blue Dart to roll out freight services on Delhi Metro soon

DMRC said that Blue Dart will transport cargo via metro trains during non-peak hours, utilising available capacity to ensure faster and more reliable movement of time-sensitive shipments.

PM Gati Shakti, logistics policy to push India's World Bank ranking: Report

Strong infrastructure development through initiatives like PM Gati Shakti and National Logistics Policy will help India find a place among top 25 nations on the World Bank Logistics Performance Index by 2030, a report said. India ranks 38th in the World Bank Logistics Performance Index (LPI) out of 139 countries and aims to be in the top 25 by 2030. The study conducted by Global exhibitor Messe Stuttgart India in partnership with EAC International Consulting was released on Tuesday ahead the international logistics exhibition LogiMAT India 2025 which is scheduled from February 13-15 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The report highlights that strong infrastructure development through initiatives like PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy are going to be the key drivers to achieve this (India's aim to be in top 25 by 2030 in LPI). The Indian freight and logistics market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 8.8 per cent to reach USD 484.43 billion by 2029, up f

Mission 3000 still on track: Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on freight growth

Under the mission, the government wants to achieve 3,000 million tonnes (mt) of cargo on railways by 2030

Budget 2025: Industry players focus on freight infrastructure development

With the Union Budget 2025-26 approaching, industry players are pinning hopes on significant announcements for the railway sector, particularly in freight operations and infrastructure development. The industry also stressed the need to increase the average speed of freight trains to 50 kmph and deploy advanced 12,000 HP electric locomotives. Texmaxo Managing Director Sudipta Mukherjee expressed optimism for a substantial wagon order, building on the government's 2022 announcement of approximately 1.2 lakh wagon orders over three years. "Out of the total 3 lakh long-term wagon procurement plan to increase the total number to six lakh wagons, the government had placed nearly 1.2 lakh wagon orders in 2022, which are supposed to be fulfilled by 2025. We hope the government will repeat a similar mega order for wagons in the upcoming budget to push the railways' share in logistics to 45 per cent from the current 26-27 per cent," Mukherjee said. He also emphasised the need for increased

Freight corridors driving equitable economic growth across India: Study

The dedicated freight corridors of the Indian Railways have had a social-equalising effect with states that have a lower per-capita GDP experiencing significant benefits, a study by the University of New South Wales, Australia, has revealed. This suggests that the corridors are helping bridge the economic gap, offering a path towards more equitable economic growth across the country, it stated. Though the study, published in Elsevier Journal, focused on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) for the financial year 2019-20, experts say that overall, it benefits several industries and consumers, giving a big push to the Indian economy. The study said the dedicated freight corridor gives financial benefits to all regions of the country. However, areas closer to it gain more due to a significant reduction in the travel cost, it said. "The model finds a universal decrease in the cost of freighting, with GDP improvements being observed in regions with the greatest decreases in cos

In export push, govt steps in to raise container capacity amid shortage

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announces purchase of second-hand vessels

Increasing freight costs, container shortages threaten exports: GTRI

Increasing freight costs, shortage of containers and dependence on major shipping hubs and foreign carriers pose serious challenges to the country's exports, think tank GTRI said on Sunday. To address these challenges, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) recommended that India implement several strategies to boost domestic container production, enhance the role of local shipping companies, promote use of domestic containers, and strengthen local shipping firms. "India can lower its risk of global supply chain disruptions by boosting domestic container production, encouraging the use of locally made containers, and increasing the use of Indian shipping companies for transporting goods," GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said. Between 2022 and 2024, shipping rates for a 40-foot container have fluctuated significantly. It said that in 2022, the average cost was USD 4,942 due to the lingering effects of the covid pandemic, while by 2024, the rate had stabilized around USD 4,775, it

Rising freight costs, container shortages paralyse global trade recovery

Red Sea crisis causing global shipping disruptions reminiscent of those seen during Covid-19 pandemic

Railways witnesses 10% increase in freight loading in June, shows data

Freight volumes for the national transporter, Indian Railways, had contracted year-on-year for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak in June 2023

Ocean freight rates in rough waters on congestion, Red Sea crisis

The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) increased 2 per cent to $4,801 per 40ft container this week and increased 202 per cent when compared with the same week last year

Trade strains boost cargo freights at pace recalling Covid 'chaos'

Some of the catalysts for the monthlong advance in seaborne freight rates stem more from worry than optimism

Two trains with petrol, diesel head to Tripura on Saturday amid fuel crisis

Two trains with petrol and diesel headed to Tripura on Saturday amid a fuel crisis due to disruption in railway freight services in Assam's Dima Hasao, an official said. Goods train services have been disrupted on the line since April 26, following the derailment of a freight train in Jatinga area of Dima Hasao. However, passenger train services remained normal. "Two trains carried petrol and diesel today. Three-four days back, we had sent another freight train with essential commodities like sugar and edible oil," North East Frontier Railway spokesperson Sabyasachi De told PTI. One of the trains has 49 wagons and is heading to Dharmanagar in Tripura, he said. The other train has 50 wagons, of which 25 were meant for Dharmanagar and 25 for Silchar in Assam, he added. De said work on the restoration of the tracks was underway. "We could send the two trains today as there was no rain for the last two-three days. The restoration work depends on how the weather is. We are trying our

Truck freight rates dip for smaller cities, remain flat for bigger ones

Jaipur, Ahmedabad see largest declines

Fall in other goods freight may put Railways 2030 target off track

Experts say the ministry should target unconventional sectors more aggressively

Airlines witness dip in use of freight-carrying capacity in January

Passenger load factor also sees decline after year-end jump

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

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