SWR Achieves Record Freight Loading in July 2026

·South Western Railway (SWR) recorded its highest-ever freight loading for the month of July, reaching 4.69 million tonnes, taking the cumulative loading to 17.19 MT up to July 2026.

·Freight revenue for July 2026 stood at ₹449.27 crore, with cumulative earnings reaching ₹1,650.32 crore up to July 2026.

·Passenger earnings for July 2026 were ₹303.54 crore, with 14.76 million passengers carried during the month; cumulatively, passenger revenue reached ₹1,203.73 crore with 61.56 million passengers carried up to July 2026.

·The Zone achieved a total gross revenue of ₹793.31 crore in July 2026, with cumulative gross revenue reaching ₹3,031.84 crore up to July 2026.

South Western Railway has delivered an impressive performance in July 2026, registering record freight loading alongside steady growth in key revenue segments, reflecting its continued focus o­n operational efficiency and customer-oriented services.

SWR achieved an originating freight loading of 4.69 million tonnes (MT) during July 2026, surpassing 4.2 MT recorded in July 2025. This represents a growth of 11.7% (0.49 MT) and marks the highest-ever freight loading for the month of July. Commodity-wise performance remained robust across major segments. Iron ore loading stood at 1.97 MT, registering a growth of 22.4% over last year. Steel loading increased to 1.05 MT, showing a growth of 20.6%. A notable surge was observed in BOG (Balance of Other Goods) loading, which rose sharply by 32.5% to 0.22 MT. Mineral oil loading also recorded a healthy increase of 10.3% to 0.22 MT. Container loading witnessed a significant rise, reaching 0.88 MT, while food grains loading stood at 0.01 MT, reflecting diversified and strengthened freight operations.

During the financial year 2026–27 up to July 2026, South Western Railway (SWR) achieved a total originating freight loading of 17.19 MT as compared to 16.27 MT during the corresponding period of the previous year, registering a growth of 5.7% (0.92 MT). This is the best-ever loading up to July since the inception of SWR, surpassing the previous best of 16.27 MT achieved in 2025–26. Commodity-wise performance was led by iron ore loading at 6.84 MT as against 6.41 MT last year, reflecting a growth of 6.7% (0.43 MT), followed by steel loading at 3.71 MT compared to 3.54 MT, registering a growth of 4.9% (0.17 MT). Coal loading also recorded an increase to 3.43 MT from 3.31 MT, marking a growth of 3.5% (0.11 MT), while mineral oil loading improved to 0.83 MT from 0.77 MT, showing a growth of 8.1% (0.06 MT). BOG (Balance of Other Goods) loading rose to 0.89 MT from 0.62 MT, indicating a growth of 5.7% (0.92 MT). Container loading increased to 0.34 MT from 0.31 MT, registering a growth of 8.8% (0.03 MT). Cement loading improved to 0.14 MT from 0.12 MT, showing a growth of 15.2% (0.02 MT), while food grains loading witnessed a sharp rise to 0.07 MT compared to 0.02 MT last year, recording a significant growth of 171.4% (0.05 MT).

On the earnings front, SWR recorded a gross revenue of Rs. 793.31 crore in July 2026, achieving a year-on-year growth of 5.21% (Rs. 39.30 crore). Freight revenue the backbone of railway earningswas the major contributor, amounted to Rs. 449.27 crore, registering a growth of 6.49% (Rs. 27.38 crore) compared to July 2025. Passenger revenue stood at Rs. 303.54 crore in July 2026, recording a year-on-year growth of 6.01% (Rs. 17.20 crore). The zone carried 14.76 million passengers during the month, reflecting a growth of 3.51% over the previous year. Parcel revenue stood at Rs. 15.30 crore, reflecting a growth of 6.77% year-on-year. Other coaching revenue was recorded at Rs. 25.21 crore, while sundry revenue stood at Rs. 15.29 crore. Commercial sundry revenue totalled Rs. 5.84 crore, showing a growth of 8.75% over last year. On the operational side, ticket checking activities resulted in 0.46 lakh cases, generating earnings of Rs. 4.54 crore during the month.

SWR has demonstrated steady financial performance during the financial year up to July 2026, with Gross Revenue reaching ₹3,031.84 crore as compared to ₹2,987.55 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year, registering a growth of 1.48% year-over-year. Freight revenue continued to be the primary contributor to the Zone’s earnings, accounting for ₹1,650.32 crore during this period, reflecting its pivotal role in sustaining overall revenue performance. Passenger revenue witnessed a significant surge of 13.20%, rising to ₹1,203.73 crore from ₹1,063.39 crore in the previous year, indicating strong recovery and growth in passenger business. Correspondingly, passenger footfall also increased to 61.56 million, marking a growth of 4.18% over the same period last year. In addition, ticket checking earnings showed a positive trend, increasing by 3.50% to ₹23.33 crore compared to ₹22.54 crore in the previous year. Parcel revenue also registered steady growth, rising by 3.24% year-over-year to ₹58.70 crore from ₹56.86 crore. Overall, the consistent growth across key revenue streams highlights the robust operational performance and sustained momentum of South Western Railway.

The strong performance in freight loading coupled with steady revenue growth highlights SWR’s sustained efforts in improving logistics efficiency, strengthening infrastructure, and enhancing customer satisfaction. South Western Railway remains committed to building o­n this momentum and further improving its performance to meet the evolving transportation needs of the region.

                                                                                Dr. Manjunath Kanamadi                                                                           Chief Public Relations Officer

                                                          South Western Railway, Hubballi