Bhubaneswar, January 28: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has achieved a significant milestone by surpassing Rs 2,000 crore in passenger revenue within a record 299 days during the current financial year 2025–26, reflecting sustained growth in passenger traffic and improved rail services across the zone, said an official release.
According to an ECoR statement, this achievement marks a consistent year-on-year improvement.
“ECoR had crossed the Rs 2,000 crore mark in 308 days in 2024–25, 331 days in 2023–24, and 365 days in 2022–23, underscoring growing passenger confidence and the zone’s focused efforts on enhancing safety, punctuality, and passenger convenience,” it said.
The increase in passenger revenue has been driven by a series of passenger centric initiatives. Expanded digital ticketing platforms, improved station accessibility, and continuous upgradation of passenger amenities and travel experience have made rail travel more convenient and inclusive. To meet peak season demand, 1,523 special trains were operated during festivals and holidays. Capacity was further strengthened through augmentation of 200 Mail/Express trains with 4,050 additional coaches, along with the permanent addition of 19 coaches for sustained service enhancement.
As part of ongoing efforts to improve travel safety and comfort, two trains were introduced with LHB rakes during the current financial year. Network expansion and improved connectivity were achieved with the introduction of three new Express services—Boudh–Bhubaneswar–Boudh Express, Sambalpur–Boudh–Sambalpur Express, and Brahmapur–Udhna–Brahmapur Amrit Bharat Express. Passenger accessibility was further improved by providing additional stoppages to 21 trains, extension of three train pairs, and enhancement of frequency of one train pair.
Alongside strong passenger performance, East Coast Railway has also recorded notable achievements in freight operations and overall earnings during the current financial year. The zone achieved record freight loading of 209.97 million tonnes, registering an 11% growth over the corresponding period of the previous year. ECoR also achieved its fastest ever originating freight earnings of Rs 23,000 crore, while total originating earnings increased from Rs 21,543 crore to Rs 23,595 crore, reflecting an overall growth of 11.21%
