Indian Railways Freight Loading Up 10% To 203.88 Million Tonnes In 2020-21: Here's How

Indian Railways authorities registered double-digit growth in freight traffic amid the COVID-19 pandemic and recorded a 10 per cent increase in freight loading in financial year 2020-21, compared to the previous fiscal 2019-20. According to a recent statement released by the Railway Ministry, the national transporter's total freight loading was 203.88 million tonnes in fiscal 2020-21, compared to 184.88 million tonnes in the financial year 2019-20, marking a 10 per cent year-on-year growth. (Also Read: Capex Utilisation In Dedicated Freight Corridor Project Increases 21% To ₹ 8,201 Crore )

Indian Railways Freight Loading In Fiscal 2020-21: All You Need To Know
 

• According to government data, the national transporter's freight loading in May 2021 is 92.29 million tonnes, compared to 83.84 million tonnes in May 2019, and 64.61 million tonnes in May 2020. This means that the freight loading registered a growth of 10 per cent from May 2019's figures and a year-on-year growth of 43 per cent from the corresponding month last year.
   
• The Indian Railways authorities earned a sum of Rs. 9278.95 crore from freight loading in this month, said the railway ministry. During this month, the crucial items or commodities transported through the Indian Railways' freight network included the following:
  
  97.06 million tonnes of coal
  27.14 million tonnes of iron ore
  7.89 million tonnes of food grains
  5.34 million tonnes of fertilizers
  6.09 million tonnes of mineral oil
  11.11 million tonnes of cement, excluding clinker
  8.2 million tonnes of clinker
   
• ​The national transporter's freight network registered an improvement in wagon turnaround time by 27 per cent in May 2021. According to the data, the wagon turnaround time this month is registered at 4.83 days, compared to 6.61 in May 2019.
   
• Moreover, an average speed of 45.42 km per hour is registered this month for freight trains, compared to 36.84 km per hour in the corresponding period previously, marking a 23 per cent improvement. (Also Read: Indian Railways Freight Loading Up 10% To 112 Million Tonnes In February )
   

In the financial year 2020-21, the speed of freight trains increased on the existing network due to infrastructural push by the opening of a few stretches of the dedicated freight corridors. The improvement in the speed of freight trains resulted in cost-saving for all stakeholders. In the last 18 months, freight speed almost doubled, said the railway ministry.