New Delhi, Nov. 24 -- Indian Railways' cumulative loading for the current financial year has crossed the 1-billion-tonne mark, reaching 1,020 million tonnes (MT) as of November 19.

The performance reflects steady demand across key sectors and continued improvements in operational efficiency.

Coal continued to dominate the freight basket at 505 MT, followed by iron ore (115 MT), cement (92 MT), container traffic (59 MT), pig iron and finished steel (47 MT), fertilisers (42 MT), mineral oil (32 MT), foodgrains (30 MT) and raw materials for steel plants (around 20 MT). Other commodities accounted for 74 MT.

Average daily loading has remained stable at nearly 4.4 MT, compared with 4.2 MT in the previous year, indicating a firm rise in frei...