East Coast Railway (ECoR) has once again solidified its position as the leading freight handling zone of Indian Railways by achieving a record-breaking freight loading of 286.3 Million Tonnes (MT) during the financial year 2025-26.
This remarkable feat marks a significant jump of 27 MT compared to 259.25 MT in the previous year.
Along with the surge in volume, the zone also posted strong financial growth, earning ₹29,456.60 crore from freight operations — a healthy increase of over 10% from ₹26,691.82 crore recorded in 2024-25.
With this performance, East Coast Railway contributed 17.1% of the total 1,669.9 MT freight loaded by Indian Railways in 2025-26, maintaining its top position among all railway zones for the seventh consecutive year of crossing the 200 MT mark.
The zone plays a pivotal role in transporting essential bulk commodities including coal, iron ore, steel, cement, alumina, fertilizers, and food grains, supporting critical sectors such as power generation, infrastructure development, and heavy industries.
Strong Growth in Passenger Segment Too
East Coast Railway also witnessed healthy growth in passenger traffic. The zone carried 97.64 million passengers in 2025-26, generating earnings of ₹2,495.51 crore, up from 93.52 million passengers and ₹2,371.09 crore in the previous year.
Officials attribute this dual success to improved infrastructure, better wagon and terminal utilization, enhanced operational efficiency, modern signalling systems, and strong focus on customer engagement and safety.
East Coast Railway remains committed to further strengthening its infrastructure and adopting innovative practices to support India’s growing transportation demands.
