Bhubaneswar, October 14: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has recorded strong growth in passenger earnings during the first six months of the financial year 2026–27, with passenger revenue increasing by 18.01% compared with the corresponding period of the previous financial year. Passenger bookings also registered a growth of 1.76% during April–September 2026, reflecting sustained demand for rail travel.

According to an ECoR release, passenger earnings of East Coast Railway reached Rs 1,079.30 crore up to September 2026, compared with Rs 914.62 crore during the corresponding period last year, highlighting the strong performance of passenger services. The growth in passenger earnings significantly outpaced the increase in passenger bookings, indicating higher average earnings per passenger. Average earnings per passenger increased from approximately Rs 240 to Rs 278, registering a rise of around 16%.

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This growth was supported by greater patronage of AC and premium train services, including Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains, along with the introduction of new services, extension of existing trains and augmentation of coaches on popular routes. Special trains operated during festive and holiday seasons, further helped cater to additional passenger demand. Steady patronage on tourism and pilgrimage routes and the wider use of digital ticketing facilities also contributed to the overall performance.

All divisions contributed to the growth in passenger earnings. Khurda Road Division recorded earnings of Rs 744.96 crore, registering an increase of 18.68% over the previous year. Sambalpur Division earned Rs 133.76 crore, marking a growth of 12.78%, while Rayagada Division recorded Rs 53.10 crore, registering an increase of 24.41%. The consolidated figures also include the performance of the erstwhile Waltair Division for April and May 2026.

Passenger bookings across East Coast Railway stood at 38.77 million up to September 2026, compared with 38.10 million during the corresponding period last year, registering a growth of 1.76%. Ticket checking activities also contributed to passenger revenue. Up to September 30, 2026, East Coast Railway registered 5.15 lakh cases of ticketless and irregular travel and realised Rs 36.21 crore. Earnings from ticket checking increased by 27.28% compared with the corresponding period last year reflecting improved revenue realisation through focused ticket checking drives.