Fall in other goods freight may put Railways 2030 target off track

Experts say the ministry should target unconventional sectors more aggressively

Indian Railways has managed to improve its freight volumes each year since the pandemic. However, its inability to add new industries and goods will pose a challenge for the national transporter in the wake of it setting an ambitious target of 45 per cent share in the national logistics by 2030.

According to officials, the ministry of railways achieved 114 million tonnes (mt) of miscellaneous goods (classified as balance and other goods) in 2023-24. This is 11.6 per cent lower than the previous financial year. It is the only commodity class (barring foodgrains, affected by budget and procurement), which saw