ECoR Achieves Record Freight Loading in 290 Days

Bhubaneswar, Jan 16 (PTI) The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has achieved 200.13 million tonne of freight loading in 290 days during the 2024-25 fiscal, an official statement said on Thursday.

This marks the highest-ever freight loading by any zone in the history of Indian Railways, reinforcing ECoR's leadership in freight transportation and operational excellence, it said.

The ECoR reached this landmark on January 15, 2025, surpassing its own record set in the previous fiscal year (2023-24) when it took 295 days to cross 200 million tonne.

This year's feat was accomplished 15 days ahead of last year's pace and comes on the back of a strong performance in previous years, where it took 366 days (2019-20), 360 days (2020-21), 320 days (2021-22), and 310 days (2022-23) to achieve similar milestones, the ECoR said.

During this period, ECoR has unloaded a record of 183.5 million tonne of freight, further highlighting its remarkable performance in freight handling.

Over the period, ECoR handled a total of 200.13 million tonne, up by 1.6 per cent from 196.779 million tonne in the previous fiscal year. The zone's performance in freight handling remains robust, and it continues to be a crucial enabler of economic growth.

The major commodities loaded by ECoR included coal (119.637 MT), raw materials for steel plants (7.67 MT), pig iron and finished steel (15.991 MT), iron ore ( 24.426 MT), cement (0.88 MT), food grain (2.226 MT), fertilizer (5.477MT), mineral oil (2.317 MT), freight in container (4.372 MT) and other goods (17.159 MT).

This apart, the ECoR has also seen an increase in revenue generation, earning Rs 20,288.041 crore, which represents a 1.28 per cent growth compared to the previous fiscal year.

"The achievement of 200 million tonne within a span of 290 days is a direct result of meticulous planning, excellent coordination with industries and government entities, and the tireless efforts of its workforce," a senior official said.