HUBBALLI: The South Western Railway (SWR) has achieved a gross revenue of Rs 6,939 crore, with passenger revenue amounting to Rs 2,543 crore, and freight revenue standing at Rs 3,976 crore, and met the passenger demand during festival seasons by operating 481 special trains and attaching 614 extra coaches, and generated an additional Rs 232 crore in revenue.
Speaking after unfurling the National Flag during the Republic Day celebration, SWR general manager Mukul Saran Mathur said that the railway zone has emerged as the top-performing Zonal Railway in incremental originating freight loading and revenue, achieving 38 million tonnes of freight with 18.5 per cent growth, and recording its highest-ever monthly loading of 5.1 million tonnes and Rs 502 crore freight revenue in December 2025.
Stating that the Hubballi Division has also set a new record with 3.8 million tonnes of monthly loading, registering 31 per cent growth in December, the general manager said, during April-December, the SWR made significant progress in capacity augmentation and infrastructure development, commissioning 26 km of doubling works, and securing sanction for major doubling projects including Ballari-Chikjajur and Toranagallu-Ranjithpura.
He also said that operational efficiency improved through speed enhancements, with sectional speed raised to 110 kmph over 360 track kilometres, loop line speed increased to 30 kmph, and Hassan-Mangaluru section speed enhanced to 80 kmph (except ghat section).
A total of 20 Permanent Speed Restrictions (PSR) were removed and 21 PSRs were relaxed and fencing on high-speed routes and upgradation of 240 km of track to 25-tonne axle load.
Electrification and energy efficiency witnessed strong momentum with the commissioning of four traction substations and electrification of 207 track kilometres, taking the total electrified network to 3,340 route kilometres, which is nearly 90% of the total RKM of the zone, Mathur said and added that electric traction was extended to 163 pairs of trains, 48 electric locomotives were commissioned raising the fleet to 326, and 30 pairs of trains were converted from diesel to electric traction, resulting in fuel savings of about Rs 39 crore.
Mentioning that the operational performance of the SWR remained robust with 90 per cent, he said, punctuality in mail and express trains, secured 4th rank at the all-India level.