Highway construction touched at 10,500 km, toll revenue crossed Rs 60k cr in last FY

NEW DELHI: Highway construction touched 10,500 km and toll collection on them crossed Rs 60,000 crore in the financial year ended March 31. Sources said while the toll collection last year was the maximum ever in the highway sector’s history, the overall construction was third-highest in the past five years.

Highway construction during 2023-24 was 12,349 km and the overall toll collection was around Rs 55,000 crore. Sources said the decline in highway construction during last year was due to reduction in the pace of bidding out of highway projects. They added that the possibility of this trend continuing in the next couple years.

Indian Railways registered the highest ever earnings of Rs 2.7 lakh crore during the last financial year riding on the maximum transport of 1,617 million tonnes (MTs) of freight and 735 crore passengers. While the increase in freight movement was incremental, passenger transport saw a 6% rise as compared to the previous year. The railways also recorded the highest ever manufacturing of coaches, wagons and locomotives.

Officials said the revenue from freight movement touched Rs 1.75 lakh crore during FY25 compared to Rs 1.7 lakh crore during the previous year. In the passenger segment, the earnings from fare was around Rs 75,500 crore compared to Rs 70,693 crore in FY24.

Sources said the railway achieved the maximum ever freight loading by running 44,408 more goods trains and it also added 41,929 more wagons to its fleet last year.

“The focus was on adding wagons for goods and coaches to meet growing passenger requirements. Out of the 7,133 coaches manufactured last year, 4,601 were non-AC and the remaining 2,533 were AC. This shows the govt’s commitment to make more trains and coaches available for low and middle class passengers,” said an official.