Covid-19 crisis drags Indian Railways' freight traffic down 21% in Q1

The Indian Railways’ freight traffic dropped 21 per cent during the first quarter of 2020-21 (FY21) to 241 million tonnes (mt) owing to the lockdown and slowing economic activity. 

Its earnings from freight also saw 31 per cent fall to Rs 22,266 crore for the April-June period. In June, the national transporter handled 93 mt freight, a fall of 8 per cent over the same month in 2019-20 (FY20). The freight earnings for the month also declined 18 per cent to Rs 8,826 crore. 

Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav said freight loading had substantially picked up in June, which