Indian Railways loaded 145 million tonnes of freight in May 2026, a 1.3% rise over the same month last year, as per the Ministry.
The growth came despite disruptions to global logistics and supply chains stemming from the ongoing geopolitical situation in West Asia. Rising crude oil prices are driving up fuel costs, airlines are facing higher operating expenses, gold prices are climbing amid safe-haven demand, and the rupee is coming under pressure.
Concerns over disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have also strained LPG supplies, triggering panic buying, long queues at fuel stations and instances of hoarding and black-market activity, even as the government has sought to reassure consumers about the availability of essential fuels.
Railway Freight: What moved and by how much
Among the commodities tracked by the national transporter, Balance Other Goods, a broad category that includes industrial and manufactured goods, recorded the sharpest rise, growing 16% year-on-year. Iron ore loading was up 4.8%, while pig iron and finished steel grew 3.5%. Fertiliser loading rose 6.2% over the corresponding period last year, which the railways attributed to its focus on supporting key sectors of the economy.
Coal, which remains the single largest commodity by volume on the railway network, saw loading rise by just under 1%. The railways said it had prioritised coal movement through the month to ensure uninterrupted supply to thermal power plants and safeguard energy security. Transit of coal across the network was closely monitored, as per the Ministry of Railways.
Indian Railways also said it had intensified monitoring of both domestic and export-import container traffic during the month to facilitate seamless freight movement and support economic activity across regions.
Passengers: Non-suburban segment drives growth
On the passenger side, Indian Railways carried over 61 crore passengers in May 2026, up from approximately 59 crore in May 2025. The non-suburban segment, covering intercity and long-distance travel, accounted for most of the increase, rising 7.4% with passenger numbers climbing from 28 crore to 30 crore over the year-ago period. The suburban segment, by contrast, did not feature as a significant driver of growth during the month.
To manage the seasonal spike in travel demand, the railways operated a large number of Summer Special Trains across various routes through the month.
Fleet additions
The national transporter is currently running 164 Vande Bharat services. Among the recent additions is the Sleeper Vande Bharat, introduced on the Howrah-Kamakhya route. The number of Amrit Bharat services has reached 68, with three new trains inaugurated during May 2026.