Indian Railways registers highest-ever freight loading in July 2021; see details

Indian Railways has registered its highest-ever freight loading for the month of July, said the national transporter in a statement issued on Monday. In July 2021, Indian Railways has once again achieved the highest ever freight loading. According to the Railway Ministry, the railway network has achieved its highest incremental freight loading of 17.54 MT in the month of July 2020 (18.43 per cent increase over July last year), with freight loading of 112.72 MT in total as against the previous best record of 99.74 MT freight loading in July 2019 as well as against 95.18 MT loading in July 2020. 

Major incremental growth in other items

The ministry said major incremental growth over the same month previous year has been registered in the following items:

• Cement sector of 2.31 million tonnes (26.71 percent)
• Coal of 9.31 million tonnes (23.47 percent)
• Iron ore of 1.81 million tonnes (14.05 percent)
• Steel of 0.45 million tonnes (8.72 percent)
• Raw material for steel apart from iron ore 0.88 million tonnes (48.62 percent)
• Foodgrains of 0.43 million tonnes (7.89 percent)
• Container of 1.33 million tonnes (28.36 percent)
• Remaining other goods of 1.11 million tonnes (13.34 percent)

According to Railway Ministry, "With freight loading of 451.97 million tonnes in current fiscal 2021-22 as against 336.74 up to July 2020, Indian Railways has also achieved the highest ever cumulative incremental freight loading of 115.23 million tonnes i.e 34.22 per cent over the same period last year 2020-21. The ministry further said in cumulative performance of Indian Railways’ freight loading, massive growth has been registered over the same period last year in Iron ore 18.07 million tonnes (43.88 percent), Cement 15.01 million tonnes (52.91 percent), Coal 55.83 million tonnes (37.11 percent), and the rest of other goods 10.45 million tonnes (38.42 percent). 

The ministry also issued a statement in February 2021 describing the increase in Indian Railways' Freight loading this financial year. The statement said that as of February 28, Indian Railways' cumulative freight loading was 1,102.17 million tonnes for this financial year, which is higher than 1,102.1 million tonnes recorded for the corresponding period last year, despite the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

(With PTI inputs)

(IMAGE: PTI)