SECR Railway Zone Achieves Historic Freight Milestone
South East Central Railway (SECR) has set a remarkable new benchmark in freight operations. The zone crossed the 200 million tonne mark in originating freight loading for the financial year 2025–26. This achievement highlights significant progress in India's railway logistics.
Record-Breaking Performance
SECR loaded 200.74 million tonnes of freight by January 12, 2026. The zone reached this milestone in just 287 days. This performance beats the previous record from the 2024–25 financial year. Last year, SECR took 295 days to achieve 200.15 million tonnes.
Officials credit this success to enhanced operational capacity. Effective logistics planning played a crucial role. The overall loading for the zone increased by 6.5 million tonnes. This represents a 3.3% rise compared to the same period last year.
Division-Wise Contributions
Bilaspur division led the charge with an impressive performance. It ranked first in Indian Railways by loading 149.75 million tonnes. This figure shows a 2.7% increase over last year's numbers.
Raipur division recorded 35.29 million tonnes of loading. This marks a healthy growth of 4.2%. Nagpur division also showed strong progress. It registered 15.71 million tonnes of loading, achieving a 7.2% growth rate.
Commodity-Wise Growth
SECR maintained its dominant position in coal transportation across the Indian Railways network. The zone moved 154.36 million tonnes of coal. This represents a 3.02% increase, adding 4.53 million tonnes over last year.
Other commodities also showed substantial growth:
- Raw materials for steel plants increased by 15.4%
- Food grains loading rose by 9.9%
- Pig iron and finished steel saw a 5.6% increase
- Container EXIM (Export-Import) recorded the highest growth at 44.4%
Infrastructure and Technology Upgrades
General Manager Tarun Prakash guided the zone through several infrastructure improvements during 2025–26. SECR commissioned three new Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals. The zone also operationalised eight Rapid Loading Systems and twenty-three silos.
These Rapid Loading Systems contributed significantly to loading efficiency. They helped achieve a 62.3% increase in operational effectiveness. The railway focused on modernising its goods sheds as well. Upgrades are currently underway for forty-four identified sheds.
Security measures received attention too. CCTV installation received sanction for sixty-two locations. SECR implemented drone monitoring at five sites to oversee operations more effectively.
Customer-Centric Initiatives
The railway zone expanded its customer base through digital initiatives. SECR renewed e-payment systems for eighty-two existing clients. New customers joined through digital onboarding platforms. These efforts demonstrate SECR's commitment to modern, efficient service delivery.
The record-breaking freight performance reflects systematic improvements across operations. From infrastructure upgrades to customer service enhancements, SECR's achievements set a new standard for railway freight in India.
