The Khurda Road Division of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has recorded an outstanding performance in freight loading and traffic handling during the first three quarters of the current financial year 2025–26, reflecting sustained growth, higher wagon utilisation, and enhanced operational efficiency.
During the period April to December 2025, the Khurda Road Division loaded 130.36 Million Tonnes (MT) of freight as against 119.56 MT loaded during the corresponding period of the previous financial year, registering a growth of 9%, which is 10.80 MT more than last year.
In the same period, East Coast Railway as a whole loaded 209.97 MT of freight compared to 188.64 MT in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, achieving an impressive growth of 11.3%, amounting to an additional 21.33 MT.
In December 2025 alone, the Khurda Road Division loaded 15.23 MT of freight as against 14.73 MT loaded in December 2024, registering a growth of 3%. Similarly, during the same month, the East Coast Railway loaded 25.25 MT of freight compared to 23.27 MT in the previous year, reflecting an increase of 9%.
During the April–December 2025 period, the Khurda Road Division utilised an average of 7,068 wagons per day, compared to 6,596 wagons per day in the corresponding period of the previous year, registering an increase of 7%. During the same period, the East Coast Railway utilised an average of 11,389 wagons per day, as against 10,415 wagons per day, registering a growth of 9%.
In December 2025, the Khurda Road Division achieved an average utilisation of 7,331 wagons per day, compared to 7,088 wagons per day in December 2024, reflecting a 3% increase. During the same month, the East Coast Railway utilised 12,112 wagons per day, as against 11,250 wagons per day, registering an 8% growth.
During the period, the East Coast Railway recorded substantial freight loading across a wide spectrum of commodities, highlighting its critical role in supporting core industries and essential supplies. The loading included 117.83 Million Tonnes (MT) of coal, 7.89 MT of raw materials for steel plants, 19.76 MT of iron and steel, 27.51 MT of iron ore, 0.75 MT of cement, 2.43 MT of food grains, 7.22 MT of fertilisers, 2.43 MT of POL, and 4.03 MT of containerised goods. In addition, 20.13 MT of other commodities were loaded, comprising raw materials for steel plants, alumina, bauxite, caustic soda, gypsum, quartzite, fly ash, and manganese, among others, underlining East Coast Railway’s strong contribution to industrial growth and national logistics.
The consistent growth in freight loading, wagon utilisation, and earnings underscores the Khurda Road Division’s commitment to enhancing freight operations, strengthening port-rail connectivity and contributing significantly to the nation’s logistics and economic growth, claimed railway officials.