Indian Railways has hit a milestone: freight loading this fiscal has already crossed the 1-billion-tonne mark. As of November 19, cumulative loading stood at 1,020 million tonnes, the Railway Ministry said on Saturday.

The big picture: freight is the economy’s pulse

When freight volumes rise, factories are producing, power plants are burning fuel, construction sites are hungry for materials, and ports are moving goods. The ministry’s data shows that pulse is steady and strengthening this year.

Daily loading is holding around 4.4 million tonnes versus 4.2 million tonnes in the same period last year.

What’s moving? Coal still dominates the rake

The sectoral break-up makes the story clearer, and a bit more complicated.

Coal: 505 MT, still the backbone of rail freight and India’s power e

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