India’s Freight Shift Is Underway; The Bigger Battle Is Moving More Cargo To Rail

Publication: Business World

India’s freight network is gradually shifting towards rail, with the government estimating that 2,672 million tonnes of additional freight shifted from road to rail since 2014. The shift comes as dedicated freight corridors and rail-linked logistics infrastructure expand across major freight routes.

The transition, however, is not simply about putting more cargo on trains. Differences in freight density, route economics and the ability to connect cargo with rail are shaping where the shift is taking place and how far it can extend.

The 2,672-million-tonne shift provides a national measure of the change, while the growth in rail freight has been particularly significant across established freight flows. Indian Railways carried 1,617 million tonnes of freight in 2024-25, up from about 1,055 million tonnes in 2013-14, indicating that the increase in rail freight has been substantial but remains closely linked to the network’s established freight base.

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