Railways Minister Reaffirms Commitment To ‘Mission 3000’ Amid Concerns Over Slow Freight Growth

Despite concerns over the sluggish growth in freight loading, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has asserted that the government’s ambitious Mission 3000 remains on track, with significant increases in freight volumes expected in the coming years, reported Business Standard.

“Mission 3000 is still very much in sight. There are projects, which when completed, bring a quantum jump in cargo. For example, when the Sonnagar-Andal quadrupling project is completed, there will be a quantum jump in loading. Similar would be the case with several other projects. This was a sector which was neglected in the past. Now, we are investing Rs 2.5 trillion every year,” Vaishnaw stated at a conference in New Delhi.

The government has set a target of achieving 3,000 million tonnes (mt) of cargo by 2030, but the Indian Railways would need to nearly double its freight output over the next five years to meet this ambitious goal.

The ministry is expected to surpass 1,600 mt of freight for the first time in its history this financial year, with the next target set at 1,700 mt for 2025-26, reflecting a modest 4 per cent growth over the revised estimates for FY25.

Following the Budget announcement, analysts have pointed out that freight growth has been underwhelming, especially after the ministry revised its estimate downward by 15 mt to 1,635 mt for the current financial year.

Freight growth is now projected at just 2.9 per cent for FY24-25, a stark contrast to the double-digit growth witnessed in previous years.

Vaishnaw emphasised that network bottlenecks will be addressed to enhance freight movement speed.

He also announced an allocation of over Rs 2,500 crore for Delhi in the FY26 railway budget and revealed plans to introduce six hydrogen trains alongside Namo Bharat trains, which will feature partially non-air-conditioned coaches.