IR registers best ever February freight loading

In a notable development, Indian Railways (IR) has registered the highest ever February freight loading figures. In February 2023, IR’s freight loading stood at 124.03 mt, 3.55 per cent higher than the previous best, registered in February 2022. With this, IR has had 30 consecutive months of best-ever freight loading. On a cumulative basis, in the April-February period of 2022-23, IR has achieved freight loading of around 1,367.49 mt, as against 1,278.84 mt in 2021-22 – a hike of 6.03 per cent. The increased freight loading can be attributed primarily to inc­reas­ed automobile loading. In 2022-23, 5,015 rakes have been loaded as of February 2023, as compared to 2,966 rakes during the corresponding period in 2021-22, registering a growth of 69 per cent. Cumula­tively, in the April-February period of 2022-23, IR has loaded over 79.69 mt of extra coal to powerhouses as compared to the same period in 2021-22 – a growth of over 15.44 per cent.