IR sets record in freight loading in May 2022

In a notable development, the freight loading registered by Indian Rail­ways (IR) stood at 131.7 million tonnes (mt) during May 2022, 14.7 per cent higher than the loading in the corresponding period last year (114.9 mt). Reportedly, the growth has been fuelled by the incremental loading of 10.7 mt in coal, followed by 2.8 mt in cement and clinker, 1.5 mt in food grains and 1.4 mt in remaining other goods. Except raw material for steel pla­nts (including iron ore) and finished steel, all commodities have registered a volume growth over the corresponding period in the previous year. The cumulative freight loading in April-May 2022 stood at 253.9 mt, as against 226.5 mt achieved in 2021-22. This is an incremental loading of 27.4 mt, 12 per cent higher than that in the corresponding period last year. In terms of revenue, IR’s earnings from freight stood at Rs 141.13 billion in May 2022, 22 per cent higher than Rs 116.11 billion registered in the corresponding period last year.