<p data-path-to-node="2"><b data-path-to-node="2" data-index-in-node="0">NEW DELHI</b> — In a major milestone for subcontinental supply chain performance, Indian Railways has officially recorded a historic freight loading volume of <b data-path-to-node="2" data-index-in-node="155">1,670 million tonnes (1.67 billion tonnes)</b> during the 2025–26 cycle, cementing its position as the second-largest rail freight carrier globally.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="3"><b>Network Capacity &amp; DFC Operations</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="4">The milestone has been largely anchored by the full-scale operationalization of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC, 1,337 km) and Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC, 1,506 km). Dedicated freight tracks now handle an average of <b data-path-to-node="4" data-index-in-node="243">443 high-speed trains daily</b>, enabling double-stack container operations and higher axle-load trains while freeing up mixed passenger-freight capacity along traditional trunk routes.</p><p data-path-to-node="5">Addressing the Parliament regarding the achievement, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that new track commissioning has nearly doubled to 8.32 km per day, adding over 36,400 km of new tracks to the national rail grid over recent years.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="6"><b>Terminal Development &amp; Private Capital</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="7">To support last-mile connectivity and terminal handling, Indian Railways has aggressively rolled out its Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal (GCT) framework.</p><p data-path-to-node="8">Key operational highlights include:</p><ul data-path-to-node="9"><li><p data-path-to-node="9,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="9,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">142 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals</b> commissioned across high-demand industrial nodes, unlocking an annual handling capacity of 224 million tonnes and attracting approximately ₹10,000 crore in private investment.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="9,1,0">Deployment of <b data-path-to-node="9,1,0" data-index-in-node="14">672 private rakes</b> (275 special-purpose and 397 general-purpose rakes) dedicated to bulk commodities like coal, cement, steel, fly ash, and iron ore, alongside 54 private automobile transport rakes.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="9,2,0">Scale-up of door-to-door express parcel loops through the Joint Parcel Product-Rapid Cargo Service in partnership with CONCOR along the Delhi–Kolkata and Mumbai–Kolkata trade lanes.</p></li></ul><p data-path-to-node="10">With a new Dedicated Freight Corridor linking Dankuni in the East to Surat in the West announced in the Union Budget, Indian Railways continues to accelerate its modal shift strategy to lower logistics costs and streamline hinterland-to-port cargo movements.</p>