Indian Railways Records 5.4% Freight Growth, Expands Amrit Bharat Services in August 2026
The national transporter loaded 137.9 million tonnes of freight during August 2026, compared with 130.9 million tonnes in the corresponding month last year, registering a 5.4% year-on-year increase. Freight revenue also grew 6.27% during the month.
Growth was recorded across several key commodity segments. Iron ore loading increased 12.1%, followed by clinker at 10.4%, domestic containers at 9.2% and coal at 6%. Finished steel loading grew 4.9%, mineral oil 3.1%, fertilizers 1.6% and balance other goods 8.2%.
Indian Railways also commissioned five new Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals during August, taking the cumulative number of commissioned GCTs to 149 as of August 31, 2026. The new terminals are located at Shivlakha in Gujarat, Nalli in Tamil Nadu, Shaktinagar in Uttar Pradesh, Deoragram in Madhya Pradesh and Brajrajnagar in Odisha.
The expanding GCT network is aimed at bringing freight-handling facilities closer to production and consumption centres, improving rail access for industries and strengthening integration with the wider logistics network.
On the passenger front, 14 Amrit Bharat services were regularised from special trains to regular services during August, taking the total number of Amrit Bharat services to 86. The services include routes such as Subedarganj-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Gorakhpur-Bandra Terminus, Gorakhpur-Delhi Junction, Ahmedabad-Bhagalpur, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Prayagraj Junction, Prayagraj Junction-Udhna Junction and Dhanbad-Coimbatore.
The expanded services are expected to improve affordable long-distance connectivity between major cities and regional centres across states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Passenger traffic also increased during the month. Indian Railways carried 67.27 crore passengers in August 2026, compared with 64.43 crore in August 2025. Suburban passenger traffic recorded 9.02% growth, rising to 38.01 crore passengers from 34.89 crore during the same period last year.
To meet increased festival-season demand, Indian Railways operated 144 trips of Rakshabandhan Special trains between August 25 and 31, 2026, compared with 48 trips between August 8 and 14, 2025.
The developments underline Indian Railways' focus on expanding affordable passenger connectivity, responding to seasonal demand, improving freight-handling infrastructure and strengthening rail-based logistics across the country.
Published on:
14 September 2026
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