The mismatch between actual and expected railway freight earnings has been noted in previous years too. In FY23, earnings were recorded at ₹1,62,262.90 crore, about 2 per cent lesser than the estimated ₹1.65 lakh crore. Budget and revised estimates were the same.
Coal loading remains the biggest revenue source in the railway freight segment, contributing about 50 per cent or ₹82,905 crore. Other key cargo include cement, pig iron, iron ore, food-grains, fertilisers, petroleum and other lubricants, and containers. The share of these items is expected to remain unchanged during FY25.
At ₹1.8 lakh crore, the anticipated freight earnings in the current fiscal is almost on par with the Budget estimates (BE) last year at ₹1,79,500 crore. To compare, FY24 freight earnings were revised to ₹1.69 lakh crore, 6 per cent lower than BE. It is also only about 4 per cent higher year-on-year.
