South Western Railway records best-ever freight loading in February

South Western Railway reports record freight loading and revenue growth in February 2026, achieving best-ever performance in logistics.

South Western Railway (SWR) has reported a strong financial and operational performance for February 2026 and the financial year 2025-26 up to February, driven by growth in both freight and passenger segments.

According to a release, the zone achieved an overall gross revenue of ₹8,550 crore during the current financial year up to February 2026, registering a growth of 14.31% compared to the corresponding period last year. Freight revenue remained the primary contributor at ₹4,876 crore, reflecting a significant increase of 18.27%. Passenger revenue also witnessed steady growth, reaching ₹3,154 crore, up by 9.25%.

In February 2026 alone, the zone recorded a gross revenue of ₹780 crore, marking a 7.25% rise year-on-year. The passenger earnings for the month stood at ₹307 crore, showing a notable growth of 14.5%, with 13.66 million passengers travelling across the zone. The freight revenue during February reached ₹415 crore, supported by improved loading performance. The commercial sundry revenue rose to ₹26.38 crore, while ticket checking earnings increased to ₹6.32 crore.

On the freight front, SWR loaded 47.5 million tonne (MT) of originating freight during the financial year, compared to 40.6 MT during the same period last year, registering a growth of 17%. Commodity-wise, iron ore loading reached 19 MT (up 10.7%), steel loading rose sharply to 9.8 MT (up 35.9%), and coal loading improved to 9.3 MT (up 16.6%).

In February alone, the zone loaded 4.26 MT of originating freight, a 5.3% increase over the previous year. The steel loading touched 0.89 MT, marking the best-ever performance in February, while coal loading increased to 0.90 MT, reflecting a growth of 19.6%. The RMSP loading stood at 0.158 MT, with food grains, containers and fertilisers also showing steady improvement, according to the release.