South Western Railway sets new record in freight loading

South Western Railway (SWR) has set a new record by registering an originating freight loading of 4.40 million tonnes (MT) in May 2026 and registering a growth of 4.3% compared to the previous year, a release from SWR has said.

According to the press release from the CPRO, this achievement surpasses the previous record of 4.25 MT set in May 2008. During May, an average of 2,275 wagons per day were loaded as against 2,193 wagons per day in the corresponding period last year, reflecting a growth of 3.7%.

Commodity-wise, SWR handled 1.766 MT of iron ore, 0.921 MT of steel, and 0.108 MT of RMSP during May 2026. Coal loading stood at 0.93 MT, registering a significant growth of 23.3% compared to 0.76 MT in May 2025, while food grain loading was 0.022 MT during the month. Container traffic also showed improvement, reaching 0.09 MT as against 0.07 MT last year, reflecting a growth of 16.9%. Additionally, loading of Balance Other Goods (BOG) increased to 0.22 MT from 0.14 MT in May 2025, marking a substantial rise of 56.3% (an increase of 0.080 MT).

SWR recorded a stable financial performance in May 2026, with Gross Earnings amounting to ₹770.71 crore. Passenger earnings continued to be a major contributor, reaching ₹302.34 crore, a growth of 21.37% growth over the previous year. The number of passengers carried rose to 16.36 million, a growth of 6.72% compared to last year.

For the financial year up to May 2026, passenger revenue has increased to ₹609.68 crore, a growth of 16.2%. Freight revenue reached ₹782.92 crore, while other coaching revenue stood at ₹54.75 crore and sundry revenue at ₹34.11 crore. The total gross revenue for the period aggregated to ₹1,481.46 crore, the release said.