New Delhi, May 9: India’s freight train operations have witnessed a significant year-on-year increase, reaching a remarkable milestone of five lakh rakes in the recently concluded financial year 2022-23. According to data released by the Ministry of Railways, a total of 504,601 rakes were operated during the period. This showcases the strengthening and efficiency of India’s economy, as stated by the Railways Ministry on Twitter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his enthusiasm, stating, “Encouraging numbers, indicating our strides in logistics and economic momentum.” The remarkable growth in freight train operations signifies India’s progress in the logistics sector and its positive impact on the overall economic growth.
In April 2023, Indian Railways recorded a monthly freight loading of 126.46 million tonnes, with an incremental loading of 4.25 million tonnes compared to April 2022, marking a growth of 3.5%. The freight revenue for April 2023 stood at Rs 13,893 crore, displaying a growth of 7% in comparison to April 2022’s revenue of Rs 13,011 crore.
The commodities contributing to the significant freight loading in April 2023 included coal with 62.39 million tonnes, followed by iron ore (14.49 MT), cement (12.60 MT), other goods (9.03 MT), containers (6.74 MT), steel (5.64 MT), food grains (5.11 MT), mineral oil (4.05 MT), and fertilizers (3.90 MT).
The Indian Railways has been consistently working towards improving ease of doing business and enhancing service delivery at competitive prices. These efforts have resulted in attracting new traffic to the railways, both from conventional and non-conventional commodity streams.
Overall, the surge in freight train operations highlights India’s commendable progress in logistics and underscores the country’s robust economic momentum under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
