Passenger, freight revenue boost ECR earnings

Patna: East Central Railway (ECR) earned nearly Rs 8,000 crore during the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year from April to June, driven by passenger, freight and non-fare revenue.ECR chief public relations officer Saraswati Chandra said around 6.65 crore passengers travelled across the zone during the period. Passenger services generated Rs 1,438 crore, an over 14% increase over the corresponding period last year, while freight loading alone contributed Rs 6,102 crore.Revenue from the passenger reservation system (PRS) stood at Rs 924 crore, while the non-PRS segment generated Rs 514 crore.The railways also earned Rs 12 crore from parking, over Rs 8 crore from catering and Rs 6.56 crore through non-fare revenue. Intensive ticket-checking drives brought in another Rs 73 crore through penalties and related collections.Saraswati said the higher earnings reflected increased passenger traffic, effective ticket checking and better utilisation of resources. He added ECR would continue efforts to improve services and further enhance revenue.