Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) records 7.95 percent growth in freight unloading in November, handling 1,114 rakes. Strong logistics performance ensures smooth supply of essential commodities across Northeastern states, West Bengal, and Bihar.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has reported a significant improvement in its freight operations, registering a 7.95 percent year-on-year growth in freight unloading during November, reflecting enhanced logistics efficiency and sustained economic activity across its operational region.
According to official data released on Sunday, NFR successfully unloaded 1,114 freight-carrying rakes during November, compared to 1,032 rakes in the same month last year. This steady rise highlights the railway zone’s critical role in ensuring uninterrupted supply chains, particularly for the Northeastern states, which depend heavily on rail transport for essential commodities.
NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma stated that the zone handled a diverse range of goods throughout the month. These included Food Corporation of India (FCI) rice, sugar, salt, edible oil, food grains, fertilisers, cement, coal, vegetables, automobiles, petroleum tankers, and several other essential and non-essential commodities. All consignments were efficiently unloaded at various goods sheds located across the NFR network.
A substantial portion of the freight movement was dedicated to meeting the daily consumption and industrial needs of the Northeastern region. Assam emerged as the largest beneficiary, accounting for the unloading of 624 rakes, of which 324 carried essential commodities. The scale of movement into Assam underlines its position as the logistical hub of the region.
Other Northeastern states also witnessed consistent freight inflow. During November, Tripura recorded the unloading of 87 rakes, while Nagaland and Manipur handled 23 rakes each. Arunachal Pradesh received eight rakes, Mizoram 12 rakes, and Meghalaya one rake, Sharma said. These figures collectively demonstrate NFR’s commitment to equitable distribution of goods across geographically challenging terrain.
Beyond the Northeastern states, freight operations within the NFR jurisdiction extended into eastern India. West Bengal recorded the unloading of 183 rakes, while Bihar handled 153 rakes, covering both essential and non-essential commodities. The smooth flow of goods into these regions supports commercial activity and stabilizes market supply.
Railway officials attributed the improved performance to effective monitoring at multiple operational levels, which helped reduce turnaround time and enhanced overall unloading efficiency. Streamlined coordination between operations, commercial, and engineering departments has played a key role in sustaining momentum despite infrastructure and weather challenges.
The Northeast Frontier Railway operates across all Northeastern states and also covers seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of northern Bihar, making it one of the most strategically important railway zones in India.
Meanwhile, the NFR has also intensified preparations to ensure safe and reliable train operations during the upcoming foggy and adverse weather season. In line with Railway Board guidelines, locomotives are being equipped with Fog Safe Devices, which assist Loco Pilots in identifying signals and track markers under low-visibility conditions.
In addition, automatic signalling systems are being upgraded according to revised safety standards to improve reliability during fog. The zone has also strengthened ground-level preparedness by ensuring adequate availability of detonators, applying lime marking at critical track locations, repainting signal sighting boards and level crossing gates with luminous strips, and installing LED-based flasher tail lamps on rear coaches.
These proactive safety measures, combined with strong freight performance, underline NFR’s dual focus on operational efficiency and passenger safety, even under challenging climatic conditions.
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With consistent growth in freight unloading and continued infrastructure upgrades, the Northeast Frontier Railway is poised to play an even stronger role in supporting economic development, supply chain resilience, and regional connectivity in eastern and northeastern India.
