Indian Railways has achieved significant freight growth through a multi-pronged strategy focusing on terminal development, wagon investment, and network expansion. Freight loading has consistently increased from 1,098 Million Tonnes (MT) in 2014-15 to 1,670 MT in 2025-26, making Indian Railways the second largest freight carrying railway system in the world.
Under the Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal (GCT) policy, 142 cargo terminals have been commissioned with an estimated freight handling capacity of 224 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA). These terminals have mobilized approximately ₹10,000 crore in private investment and handled 146 MT of freight during 2025-26. Additionally, various wagon investment schemes have resulted in 275 rakes of special purpose wagons and 397 rakes of general-purpose wagons becoming operational, along with 54 industry-owned rakes for automobile transportation.
The Joint Parcel Product-Rapid Cargo Service (JPP-RCS) scheme provides door-to-door parcel services through online booking via Aggregators on the Virtual Aggregation Platform. CONCOR, a PSU under Ministry of Railways, is utilizing JPP-RCS for door-to-door services on Delhi-Kolkata and Mumbai-Kolkata sectors, plus a pilot project at Sonik Goods shed.
Network expansion has accelerated significantly, with 36,429 km of new track commissioned between 2014-26 (averaging 8.32 km/day), nearly double the 7,599 km commissioned during 2009-14 (4.2 km/day). Currently, 514 railway infrastructure projects spanning 40,000 km with total cost of approximately ₹8.31 lakh crore are sanctioned, including 169 new lines (16,634 km, 3,361 km commissioned, ₹1,57,572 crore expenditure), 29 gauge conversion projects (3,987 km, 3,045 km commissioned, ₹24,227 crore expenditure), and 316 doubling projects (19,379 km, 6,177 km commissioned, ₹1,23,454 crore expenditure).
Both Dedicated Freight Corridors are fully operational: Eastern DFC (1,337 km from Ludhiana to Sonnagar) and Western DFC (1,506 km from Dadri to JNPT). The corridors operate an average of 443 trains daily, demonstrating improved operational performance with higher average speeds, faster turnarounds, and enhanced reliability. The DFCs have created additional paths on the conventional network by diverting freight traffic, enabling additional goods and coaching services. A new DFC connecting Dankuni to Surat was announced in Union Budget 2026, with Detailed Project Report preparation underway.