Rail Freight Commoditywise
Table below captures trend in commodity-wise freight traffic on Indian Railways
During 2023-24, Coal accounted for 786.8 million tons out of a total traffic of 1588.1 million tons, or 49.5%, Iron Ore accounted for 181 million tons or 11.4%, Cement accounted for 152.7 million tons or 9.6%. These three commodities accounted for ~70.5% of total freight traffic on Railways
Some of the other important commodities carried by Railways included Petroleum Products / Foodgrains / Fertilisers / Iron & Steel / Limestone and Dolomite / Stones including Gypsum
Since Railways carry a large number of commodities, the number in "Other Commodities" was sizeable , at 170.2 million tons, or 10.7%
| Year | Coal MMTPA | Iron Ore MMTPA | Cement MMTPA | POL MMTPA | Foodgrains MMTPA | Fertilisers MMTPA | Iron and Steel MMTPA | Limestone and Dolomite MMTPA | Stones incl Gypsum MMTPA | Sub Total MMTPA | Other Commodities MMTPA | Grand Total MMTPA | pct Share Coal in Grand Total | pct Share Iron Ore in Grand Total | pct Share Cement in Grand Total | pct Share POL in Grand Total | pct Share Foodgrains in Grand Total | pct Share Fertilisers in Grand Total | pct Share Iron and Steel in Grand Total | pct Share Limestone Dolomite in Grand Total | pct Share Stones Gypsum in Grand Total | pct Share Others in Grand Total | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 786.8 | 181.0 | 152.7 | 49.9 | 51.4 | 58.9 | 75.8 | 38.1 | 23.3 | 1417.8 | 170.2 | 1588.1 | 49.5 | 11.4 | 9.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 10.7 | 100.0 |
| 2022-23 | 727.2 | 160.1 | 143.9 | 48.2 | 70.9 | 56.3 | 69.9 | 36.1 | 28.5 | 1341.3 | 167.8 | 1509.1 | 48.2 | 10.6 | 9.5 | 3.2 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 11.1 | 100.0 |
| 2021-22 | 652.8 | 168.4 | 137.2 | 44.5 | 73.4 | 49.2 | 68.5 | 36.5 | 24.2 | 1254.5 | 161.3 | 1415.9 | 46.1 | 11.9 | 9.7 | 3.1 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 11.4 | 100.0 |
| 2020-21 | 541.8 | 159.1 | 120.4 | 42.5 | 62.8 | 53.8 | 60.1 | 30.8 | 27.3 | 1098.6 | 132.3 | 1230.9 | 44.0 | 12.9 | 9.8 | 3.5 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 10.7 | 100.0 |
| 2019-20 | 586.9 | 153.4 | 110.1 | 44.7 | 37.5 | 51.4 | 53.1 | 30.6 | 18.2 | 1085.9 | 122.5 | 1208.4 | 48.6 | 12.7 | 9.1 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 10.1 | 100.0 |
| 2018-19 | 605.8 | 137.3 | 117.3 | 43.0 | 39.3 | 51.8 | 54.0 | 30.4 | 21.6 | 1100.6 | 120.9 | 1221.5 | 49.6 | 11.2 | 9.6 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 9.9 | 100.0 |
| 2017-18 | 555.2 | 139.8 | 113.0 | 43.1 | 43.8 | 48.5 | 54.4 | 27.7 | 19.6 | 1045.0 | 114.5 | 1159.6 | 47.9 | 12.1 | 9.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 9.9 | 100.0 |
| 2016-17 | 532.8 | 137.6 | 103.3 | 42.4 | 44.9 | 48.3 | 52.4 | 25.5 | 14.8 | 1002.0 | 104.1 | 1106.2 | 48.2 | 12.4 | 9.3 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 9.4 | 100.0 |
| 2015-16 | 551.8 | 116.9 | 105.4 | 43.2 | 45.7 | 52.2 | 44.8 | 23.5 | 15.0 | 998.7 | 102.8 | 1101.5 | 50.1 | 10.6 | 9.6 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 9.3 | 100.0 |
| 2014-15 | 545.8 | 112.8 | 109.8 | 41.1 | 55.5 | 47.4 | 42.8 | 21.2 | 15.0 | 991.4 | 103.9 | 1095.3 | 49.8 | 10.3 | 10.0 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 9.5 | 100.0 |
| 2013-14 | 508.1 | 124.3 | 109.8 | 41.2 | 55.1 | 44.7 | 39.0 | 20.7 | 11.6 | 954.4 | 97.3 | 1051.6 | 48.3 | 11.8 | 10.4 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 9.3 | 100.0 |
| 2012-13 | 496.4 | 111.4 | 105.9 | 40.6 | 49.0 | 46.2 | 35.3 | 19.6 | 11.8 | 916.3 | 91.8 | 1008.1 | 49.2 | 11.1 | 10.5 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 9.1 | 100.0 |
| 2011-12 | 455.8 | 104.7 | 107.7 | 39.8 | 46.4 | 52.7 | 35.2 | 17.7 | 13.0 | 872.8 | 96.3 | 969.1 | 47.0 | 10.8 | 11.1 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 9.9 | 100.0 |
| 2010-11 | 420.4 | 118.5 | 99.1 | 39.3 | 43.5 | 48.2 | 32.8 | 16.4 | 11.7 | 829.7 | 92.0 | 921.7 | 45.6 | 12.9 | 10.7 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 10.0 | 100.0 |
| 2009-10 | 369.2 | 132.7 | 93.2 | 38.9 | 39.0 | 43.7 | 31.9 | 14.8 | 11.4 | 774.6 | 86.4 | 861.1 | 42.9 | 15.4 | 10.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 10.0 | 100.0 |
| 2008-09 | 369.6 | 130.6 | 86.2 | 38.1 | 35.5 | 41.4 | 28.6 | 13.3 | 10.5 | 753.8 | 79.6 | 833.4 | 44.4 | 15.7 | 10.3 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 9.6 | 100.0 |
| 2007-08 | 336.8 | 136.7 | 79.0 | 35.9 | 38.2 | 35.8 | 25.8 | 14.1 | 13.9 | 716.3 | 77.6 | 793.9 | 42.4 | 17.2 | 9.9 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 9.8 | 100.0 |
| 2006-07 | 313.3 | 121.7 | 73.1 | 31.7 | 41.8 | 34.3 | 27.0 | 12.7 | 13.2 | 669.0 | 58.8 | 727.8 | 43.1 | 16.7 | 10.0 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 8.1 | 100.0 |
| 2005-06 | 294.3 | 113.5 | 61.2 | 33.5 | 41.6 | 32.7 | 21.8 | 12.0 | 12.8 | 623.2 | 43.4 | 666.5 | 44.1 | 17.0 | 9.2 | 5.0 | 6.2 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 6.5 | 100.0 |
| 2004-05 | 271.4 | 96.3 | 53.8 | 32.0 | 46.5 | 28.8 | 18.4 | 10.0 | 10.2 | 567.3 | 34.8 | 602.1 | 45.1 | 16.0 | 8.9 | 5.3 | 7.7 | 4.8 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 5.8 | 100.0 |
| 2003-04 | 251.8 | 85.1 | 49.3 | 32.0 | 44.3 | 23.7 | 19.3 | 10.9 | 7.3 | 523.6 | 34.3 | 557.9 | 45.1 | 15.2 | 8.8 | 5.7 | 7.9 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 6.1 | 100.0 |
| 2002-03 | 235.9 | 70.8 | 46.3 | 34.1 | 45.6 | 26.5 | 16.1 | 9.1 | 6.1 | 490.3 | 28.5 | 518.7 | 45.5 | 13.7 | 8.9 | 6.6 | 8.8 | 5.1 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 5.5 | 100.0 |
| 2001-02 | 229.8 | 64.5 | 44.0 | 35.6 | 32.8 | 27.2 | 14.5 | 9.2 | 5.2 | 462.9 | 29.6 | 492.5 | 46.7 | 13.1 | 8.9 | 7.2 | 6.7 | 5.5 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 6.0 | 100.0 |
As we saw in our Rail Freight Summary Section, freight increased by 185 million tonnes between 2020-21 and 2021-22. As can be seen from Table above in this section, Coal accounted for an increase from 541.8 million tonnes to 652.8 million tonnes, or 111 million tonnes during the same year
If we scroll down the above Table, during 2001-02, total freight carried on Railways was 492.5 million tons, with Coal accounting for 229.8 million tons or 46.7%, Iron Ore 64.5 million tons or 13.1% and Cement 44 million tons or 8.9%
These three commodities have remained as top three commodities over the period of several years
View the trends graphically