Central Railway passenger traffic soars in FY26, revenue touches Rs 5,881 crore till December

CR covers a large part of Maharashtra and parts of north-eastern Karnataka and southern Madhya Pradesh. (Image generated using AI)

Central Railway earnings in FY26: Central Railway (CR) has recorded strong growth in passenger traffic and revenue during the first nine months of FY 2025-26. During April-December 2025, CR’s passenger earnings touched Rs 5,881.08 crore, marking an increase of over 5 per cent when compared with the passenger earnings during the corresponding period last year. In FY 2024-25, the zonal railway earned Rs 5570.33 crore. The CR covers a large part of Maharashtra and parts of north-eastern Karnataka and southern Madhya Pradesh.

Of this, the zonal railway earned Rs 757.12 crore during April–December 2025, nearly 5 per cent higher than the Rs 721.70 crore recorded in the corresponding period last year. Similarly, it earned Rs 5,123.96 crore through non-suburban earnings in the first nine months of the ongoing fiscal year as against Rs 4,848.63 crore for the same period last year, marking an increase of over 5 per cent.

In terms of passenger count, Central Railway carried 1,227 million passengers during this financial year till December 2025, as compared to 1,202 million passengers during the corresponding period last year registering an increase of more than 2 per cent.

“This includes 1073 million Suburban passengers carried during this FY as against 1058 million Suburban passengers carried last year and 154 million Non- suburban passengers this FY as against 144 million Non -suburban passengers carried last year,” the zonal railway said in a statement.

In December 2025 alone, CR carried 142 million passengers (including 124 million suburban and 18 million non-suburban) as against 138 million passengers (including 122 million suburban and 16 million non-suburban) during the corresponding period last year indicating an increase of 3 per cent.

In a statement, the zonal railway said: “The revenue earned in December 2025 amounts to Rs.723.27 crores (including Suburban Earnings of Rs 87.58 crores and Non-suburban earnings of 635.69 crores) as against Rs 604.40 crores earned during the same month last year, marking an increase of almost 20%.”