Key Statistics: Trends in railway traffic and earnings

August 2023

Growth in passenger and freight traffic 

  • Rail passenger traffic in India has grown at a CAGR of 1.3 per cent from 2002 to 2023. In 2020-21, it declined by 84 per cent owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, but recovered subsequently to reach 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
  • Rail freight traffic has grown steadily at a CAGR of 5.48 per cent from 2002 to 2023.

Rise in revenues

  • Rail passenger revenue has grown at a CAGR of 8.45 per cent from 2002 to 2023. In 2022-23, passenger revenue surpassed the pre-pandemic levels owing to an increase in ticket fares and the discontinuation of senior citizen concessions.
  • With a steady increase in freight traffic, freight revenue has also risen, growing at a CAGR of 9.54 per cent from 2002 to 2023.

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