Indian Railways reported a year-on-year freight loading increase of 5.4% in August 2026, with total volumes climbing to 137.9 million tonnes (MT), up from 130.9 MT the previous year, as per data from the Ministry of Railways.

The freight revenue also saw a rise of 6.27% compared to August 2025, bolstered by significant loading growth in several major commodity sectors.

Among the key segments, iron ore experienced the highest growth, surging by 12.1%, while clinker loading increased by 10.4%. Domestic container traffic saw a rise of 9.2%, and coal loading grew by 6%.

Finished steel loading recorded a 4.9% increase, with mineral oil and fertilizer loading up by 3.1% and 1.6%, respectively. Other goods also saw an 8.2% rise in loading.

During August, the Railways inaugurated five Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals (GCTs), bringing the total number of operational terminals to 149 as of August 31. The new terminals are situated in Shivlakha, Gujarat; Nalli, Tamil Nadu; Shaktinagar, Uttar Pradesh; Deoragram, Madhya Pradesh; and Brajrajnagar, Odisha.

Passenger traffic also experienced growth, with Indian Railways transporting 67.27 crore passengers in August, compared to 64.43 crore in August 2025. Suburban traffic saw a notable rise of 9.02%, reaching 38.01 crore passengers, up from 34.89 crore a year prior.

Additionally, 14 Amrit Bharat services transitioned from special to regular operations in August, increasing the total number of regular Amrit Bharat services to 86.

To accommodate the heightened travel demand during the festival season, 144 trips of Rakshabandhan Special trains were run from August 25 to 31, a significant increase from the 48 trips conducted between August 8 and 14, 2025.