South Western Railway Posts Strong Revenue, Best-Ever February Freight Loading in FY26

Hubballi

South Western Railway (SWR) has recorded strong financial and operational performance during February 2026 as well as in the financial year 2025–26 up to February, driven by impressive growth in freight and passenger revenue.

The railway zone achieved an overall gross revenue of ₹8,550 crore during FY 2025–26 (up to February), registering a growth of 14.31 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year. Freight revenue emerged as the major contributor, reaching ₹4,876 crore and reflecting a significant growth of 18.27 per cent. Passenger revenue also witnessed steady growth, increasing to ₹3,154 crore, up by 9.25 per cent compared to last year.

In February 2026 alone, SWR earned a gross revenue of ₹780 crore, marking a 7.25 per cent increase over the same month last year. Passenger revenue for the month stood at ₹307 crore, showing a growth of 14.5 per cent, with 13.66 million passengers travelling across the zone. Freight revenue during the month reached ₹415 crore, supported by improved freight loading performance. Commercial Sundry Revenue rose to ₹26.38 crore, while Ticket Checking Earnings increased to ₹6.32 crore.

On the freight operations front, SWR loaded 47.5 million tonnes (MT) of originating freight during the financial year up to February 2026, compared to 40.6 MT during the same period last year, registering a strong growth of 17 per cent. Commodity-wise, iron ore loading reached 19 MT, registering a growth of 10.7 per cent, steel loading increased to 9.8 MT with a growth of 35.9 per cent, and coal loading improved to 9.3 MT, reflecting a growth of 16.6 per cent.

During February 2026, the zone loaded 4.26 MT of originating freight, marking a 5.3 per cent increase over last year. Steel loading touched 0.89 MT, achieving the best-ever February performance, while coal loading rose to 0.90 MT with a growth of 19.6 per cent. RMSP loading registered substantial growth at 0.158 MT, while food grain, container and fertilizer traffic also showed consistent improvement.

Officials stated that the consistent growth in freight loading and earnings reflects the sustained efforts of South Western Railway in enhancing operational efficiency, strengthening customer relations and improving terminal and loading infrastructure. The zone reiterated its commitment to further improving performance and effectively meeting the transportation needs of the region.