In a significant indicator of post-pandemic recovery and growing demand for rail travel, the Central Railway (CR) zone has reported robust financial and operational performance for the first nine months of the fiscal year 2025-26. The zone, which serves a vast swathe of Maharashtra and parts of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, has witnessed a notable surge in both passenger numbers and revenue collection.
Steady Climb in Passenger Earnings and Footfall
Central Railway's passenger earnings for the April to December 2025 period reached an impressive Rs 5,881.08 crore. This marks a growth of over 5 per cent compared to the earnings of Rs 5,570.33 crore recorded in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year (FY25). The growth trajectory is consistent across both its extensive suburban network and long-distance services.
Breaking down the earnings, the suburban network, the lifeline for millions in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and beyond, contributed Rs 757.12 crore during these nine months. This figure is nearly 5 per cent higher than the Rs 721.70 crore earned last year. Simultaneously, non-suburban or long-distance travel brought in Rs 5,123.96 crore, again showing an increase of over 5 per cent from the Rs 4,848.63 crore of the previous year.
Passenger Traffic Crosses the 1.2 Billion Mark
The financial upswing is directly linked to a substantial increase in passenger footfall. Central Railway transported a total of 1,227 million (122.7 crore) passengers from April to December 2025. This is over 2 per cent more than the 1,202 million passengers who travelled in the same period last year.
A detailed breakdown provided by the zonal railway reveals that suburban services carried 1,073 million passengers this fiscal year against 1,058 million last year. Non-suburban travel saw an even sharper rise, with 154 million passengers compared to 144 million in the previous year, indicating a strong rebound in inter-city and long-distance mobility.
December 2025: A Month of Exceptional Growth
The month of December 2025 alone showcased remarkable momentum. CR carried 142 million passengers, a 3 per cent increase from the 138 million in December 2024. This included 124 million suburban and 18 million non-suburban commuters.
Most strikingly, the revenue for December 2025 skyrocketed to Rs 723.27 crore, representing a massive jump of almost 20 per cent compared to the Rs 604.40 crore earned in December of the preceding year. This surge highlights the peak travel season's impact and possibly improved fare realization or occupancy.
The consistent growth across quarters underscores the critical role of Central Railway in regional connectivity and the broader economic revival of its operational area. The data points towards a sustained recovery in passenger confidence and a rising preference for rail travel across both daily commutes and longer journeys.
