BHUBANESWAR: East Coast Railway (ECoR) has recorded substantial growth in passenger earnings during the first six months of the 2026-27 financial year, with revenue increasing by 18.01 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.
Passenger bookings also registered a growth of 1.76 per cent during April-September 2026, reflecting sustained demand for rail travel.
According to the ECoR, passenger earnings 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 per cent.
The ECoR stated this growth was supported by greater patronage of AC and premium train services, including Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains, along with 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,” it said and added that 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 per cent over the previous year.
Sambalpur Division earned Rs 133.76 crore, marking a growth of 12.78 per cent while Rayagada Division recorded Rs 53.10 crore, registering an increase of 24.41 per cent. The consolidated figures also include the performance of the erstwhile Waltair Division for April and May 2026.
Passenger bookings across ECoR stood at 3.877 crore up to September 2026, as compared to 3.81 crore during the corresponding period last year, registering a growth of 1.76 per cent.
Similarly, ticket checking activities also contributed to passenger revenue. Up to September 30, 2026, ECoR registered 5.15 lakh cases of ticketless and irregular travel and realised Rs 36.21 crore. Earnings from ticket checking increased by 27.28 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.
