Indian Railways (IR) have reported a revenue earning freight traffic of 95.32 million tones (MT) for the month of November 2017, which translates into a growth of 3.1% compared to corresponding previous period. Barring loading of iron ore, throughput of all other major cargo groups witnessed growth for the month. Freight traffic of coal which accounts for nearly half of the revenue earning freight traffic of IR has witnessed a growth of 5%yoy to 47.34 MT. Similarly the volume of finished steel, container, cement including clinker stand increased by 13.3%yoy (to 4.34 MT), 17%yoy (to 4.33 MT) and 20.4% (to 8.57 MT) respectively. However the iron ore loading volume for the month stood lower by 12.8% to 10.90 MT.

As Indian Railways being the monopoly of rail operations in the country, the overall originating container traffic figures of IR represent the overall volume of Indian Container train operators. Thus the total volume of container train operators for the month of November 2017 as reflected by the originating container traffic of IR stood higher by sharp 17% to 4.33 MT. But compared to sequential previous month (i.e. Oct 2017) throughput of 4.31 MT, it was flat.

High teen growth in IR's container volume for the month of November 2017 was largely due to strong growth in both EXIM and domestic container volumes. The domestic container volume was up by strong 20%yoy (to 0.90 MT) after an aberration of 4.49%yoy de-growth in October 2017. While that of EXIM container volume was up by 15.88%yoy to 3.43 MT.

The container net tonne kilometre (NTKM), a measure of combined increase in goods loading and distance moved by IR for the month of November 2017 was up by 10.8%yoy to 3952 million KMs. Despite high teen growth in container volume just an early double digit growth in NTKM was largely due to fall in lead distance. The lead distance for November 2017 was down by 4.8%yoy to 913 kms.

Lead distance of both domestic and EXIM stood lower in the month of November 2017. While the domestic lead distance was lower by 3.9%yoy to 1308 KMs that of EXIM was down by 5.5%yoy to 809 KMs. Thus despite growth of container throughput in early twenties and mid teens for domestic and EXIM containers their NTKM was up by 13.8%yoy (to 1177 million KMs) and 9.5%yoy (to 2775 million KMs) hite by lower lead distance.

Earnings of IR from originating container volume was up by 8.5% to Rs 440.08 crore for the month of November 2017 with Earnings/NTKM dip by 2.1% to Rs 1.1136.

For 8mFY18 the container throughput of IR was up by 13.5% to 35.15 MT with EXIM container volume up by 11.9% (to 28.11 MT) and that of domestic volume up by 20.1% (to 7.04 MT). However the growth in NTKM for 8mFY18 stood higher by just 7.9% (to 32312 million kms) as the average lead for the period stand declined by 4.5%yoy to 922 kms.

In 8mFY18 while the domestic NTKM was up by 16.2%yoy (to 9484 million kms) that of EXIM container was up by modest 4.8%yoy (to 22828 million kms) driven largely by higher volume as the lead distance wad down by 3.2%yoy in case of domestic containers to 1347 KMs and that of 3.2% in case of EXIM containers to 812 KMs.