Northeast Frontier Railway Freight Boom: 7.95% Growth Amid Vital Supply Chain Role

NFR's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that a total of 1,114 freight-carrying rakes were unloaded during the month, marking a notable increase of 7.95 per cent compared to 1,032 rakes handled in the corresponding month of the previous year.

Throughout the month (November), NFR ensured smooth transportation of a wide range of essential commodities, including FCI (Food Corporation of India) rice, sugar, salt, edible oil, food grains, fertilisers, cement, coal, vegetables, automobiles, tankers and other goods. These consignments were efficiently unloaded at different goods sheds spread across its jurisdiction. A major portion of the freight movement is dedicated to meeting the requirements of the Northeastern states.

According to the NFR CPRO, in November 2025, Assam alone accounted for the unloading of 624 rakes, including 324 carrying essential commodities. During the same period, 87 rakes were unloaded in Tripura, 23 in Nagaland, eight in Arunachal Pradesh, 23 in Manipur, one in Meghalaya and 12 in Mizoram, he stated.

Sharma said that, furthermore, within the jurisdiction of N. F. Railway, 183 rakes were unloaded in West Bengal and 153 in Bihar, comprising both essential and non-essential commodities. The continuous movement of essential and other commodities is vital for meeting people's daily needs while supporting and strengthening the region's economic activities.

Effective monitoring at every level has further helped reduce turnaround time and improve overall unloading efficiency, the NFR official said.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) operates in the Northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of northern Bihar.

Meanwhile, the NFR has undertaken extensive preparations to ensure safe train operations during the approaching foggy and inclement weather season.

NFR's CPRO Sharma earlier said that in line with Railway Board guidelines, the zone is equipping locomotives with Fog Safe Devices to assist Loco Pilots in identifying signals and markers under low-visibility conditions.

Automatic signalling systems are also being upgraded as per revised standards to enhance reliability and safety during fog, he said.

Ahead of the fog season, NFR has strengthened its infrastructure by ensuring adequate availability of detonators, lime-marking key track locations for better visibility, repainting signal sighting boards and level crossing gates with luminous strips and installing LED-based flasher tail lamps on rear coaches.

- IANS