Bhubaneswar (Orissa Today) Apr 1 : East Coast Railway (ECoR) has set a new benchmark in freight transportation by achieving a record 259.254 million tons of originating freight during the 2024-25 financial year.
With this remarkable feat of a significant milestone, ECoR becomes the first Railway Zone in the country to cross the 259 million-ton mark, surpassing previous records in freight loading.
The achievement represents a growth of 1.2 percent over the previous year, with an increase of 3.034 million tons from the 2023-24 fiscal year.
During the period, Zonal Railways, apart from those that have crossed the 200 MT loading, are South East Central (SEC) Railway loaded 253.208 MT, South Eastern (SE) Railway loaded 212.361 MT, and East Central (EC) Railway loaded 202.62 MT of freight.
ECoR has consistently shown its strength in freight operations, maintaining a historic achievement of crossing the 200 million tons mark for the sixth consecutive year.
Throughout the financial year, East Coast Railway handled a variety of essential commodities, including 153.271 Million Tons of Coal, 9.952 Million Tons of raw materials to steel plants, 21.381 Million Tons of steel and slag, 32.476 Million Tons of iron ore, 1.065 Million Tons of cement, 2.989 Million Tons of food grains, 6.772 Million Tons of fertilizers, 2.991 Million Tons of mineral oil and 28.357 Million Tons of freight in containers, among other goods.
This exceptional performance was driven by the strong contributions from the coalfields of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) at Talcher, five major ports in ECoR’s jurisdiction (Paradeep, Dhamara, Vizag, Gangavaram and Gopalpur), as well as key industries in the steel, aluminum, and iron ore sectors.
The dedicated efforts of all three divisions of ECoR, viz., Khurda Road, Waltair and Sambalpur, played an instrumental role in surpassing last year’s figures and achieving this outstanding result.
Congratulating the team of staff and officers, ECoR General Manager Parmeshwar Funkwal said the performance is a testament to the effective coordination between East Coast Railway and various government sectors, industries, and stakeholders, as well as the commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.
East Coast Railway’s success sets a precedent across the zones and exemplifies the potential of Indian Railways to play a pivotal role in supporting the country’s economic growth through efficient freight transportation, Funkwal said.
