The Southwestern Railway (SWR) conducted a key freight customers’ meet for the financial year 2025–26 at Rail Soudha, Hubballi, with a strong focus on streamlining steel logistics and enhancing mineral freight operations. The event brought together major freight stakeholders, including top representatives from JSW Steel, who shared updates on their growing reliance on rail for transportation.
JSW Steel reported a significant year-on-year improvement in its rail freight performance, moving 0.9 million tonnes (MT) of steel and raw materials across 241 rakes, compared to 0.6 MT over 160 rakes last year. This nearly 50 per cent jump reflects a major modal shift towards rail logistics, aligning with national goals of reducing road congestion and lowering carbon emissions.
During the discussions, participants explored strategies to optimize rake availability, reduce turnaround times, and address state-level restrictions on night-time iron-ore loading, which has affected the movement of raw materials critical to the steel sector. Industry players called for more flexibility in operational protocols to ensure uninterrupted freight flow, particularly in mineral-rich belts.
The meet also emphasised the importance of close coordination between Indian Railways and private sector players to ensure that infrastructure keeps pace with the rapid expansion of India’s steel and manufacturing output. SWR officials reaffirmed their commitment to upgrading loading infrastructure, enhancing rake supply, and introducing digital tools for better transparency and planning.
The proactive initiative by SWR to engage with freight customers signals a robust institutional push toward making rail freight more responsive to industry needs-especially for core sectors like steel that are vital to India’s infrastructure growth.
