The South Western Railway (SWR) has reported a strong freight performance for October 2025, earning Rs 4.21 billion in freight revenue — a 10.05 per cent rise from Rs 3.83 billion recorded in October 2024.

The growth was driven by a surge in originating freight, which rose 13.9 per cent to 4.17 million tonnes (MT) in October 2025 from 3.66 MT a year earlier — an increase of 0.51 MT.

“This robust monthly performance reflects SWR’s focused efforts in freight business development, improved loading efficiency, and closer coordination with industries across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Goa,” the railway division said in a statement.

For the first seven months of FY 2025–26, SWR generated Rs 29.99 billion in freight revenue, marking a substantial 24.55 per cent growth — up by Rs 5.91 billion from Rs 24.08 billion earned in the same period last year.

During this period, SWR loaded 28.82 MT of originating freight, up 18.1 per cent from 24.40 MT a year earlier. This represents the division’s highest-ever freight loading between April and October, surpassing the previous record of 27.42 MT set in FY 2023–24.

Passenger revenue for October 2025 also showed strong momentum, rising 15.82 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3.11 billion.

Overall, SWR achieved Rs 52.83 billion in total originating revenue for the first seven months of FY 2025–26 — a 15.15 per cent increase from Rs 45.88 billion recorded in the corresponding period last year.

The railway zone’s sustained growth across both freight and passenger segments underscores its improved operational efficiency and strengthened industrial partnerships across southern India.