TIRUCHY: The Tiruchchirappalli Division of Southern Railway has emerged the top-performing division in freight loading, crossing the 13-million-tonne mark for the fourth consecutive year in 2025-26, Divisional Railway Manager Balak Ram Negi said during the Independence Day celebrations on Saturday.
Addressing the gathering at the Railway Stadium, Negi said the division loaded 13.24 million tonnes of freight during 2025-26. "Fertiliser loading registered a sharp growth, while coal and foodgrain loading increased by 41%.
During April-July 2026, the division handled 3.998 million tonnes of freight, generating Rs 224.83 crore in goods revenue," he said.
Regarding passenger traffic growth, he said, the division handled 14.607 million originating passengers during April-July, a 4.74% increase over the corresponding period last year.
Passenger earnings rose 10.8% to Rs 207.71 crore, exceeding the internal target by 9.9%. "The division introduced six pairs of new trains, including the Mayiladuthurai-Karaikudi passenger service and three pairs of Amrit Bharat trains," he said.
On station modernisation, he said under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 15 stations have been taken up for upgrade, with seven already inaugurated. "Electrification of the Thiruvarur-Agasthiyampalli and Thiruthuraipoondi-Pattukottai sections was completed after successful trial runs," he said.
He also said the division has commissioned a container terminal at Peralam Goods Shed and on-grid solar plants with a combined capacity of 225 kWp.
"A new coaching depot is being established at Velankanni at a sanctioned cost of Rs 48.96 crore.
The division bagged eight shields, including the Overall Efficiency Runner-Up Shield, for its performance during 2025-26,"he added.