How Has the Northeast Frontier Railway Achieved a 9.63% Increase in Freight Unloading?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 9.63% increase in freight unloading in September 2025.
- 1,059 freight-carrying rakes unloaded during the month.
- Essential goods transported include rice, sugar, and fertilizers.
- Significant support for the economic activities of Northeastern states.
- Continuous monitoring improves efficiency and turnaround time.
Guwahati, Oct 5 (NationPress) The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is witnessing a remarkable trend in freight unloading operations, as confirmed by officials on Sunday.
NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma noted that in September 2025, NFR successfully unloaded a total of 1,059 freight-carrying rakes, marking a 9.63 percent increase compared to the 966 rakes managed during the same month the previous year.
During this period, NFR played a crucial role in transporting vital goods such as FCI (Food Corporation of India) rice, sugar, salt, edible oil, food grains, fertilizers, cement, coal, vegetables, automobiles, tankers, and various other products, which were then unloaded at multiple goods sheds throughout its area of operations.
A substantial share of this freight traffic is essential for the Northeastern states, as highlighted by the CPRO. In September 2025, Assam alone saw the unloading of 595 rakes, with 291 rakes carrying critical commodities.
Additionally, other states benefited as well; 83 rakes were unloaded in Tripura, 21 in Nagaland, 7 in Arunachal Pradesh, 20 in Manipur, 2 in Meghalaya, and 19 in Mizoram.
Moreover, 179 rakes were unloaded in West Bengal and 133 rakes in Bihar, incorporating both essential and non-essential goods within the purview of the Northeast Frontier Railway during September 2025.
This ongoing transportation of essential and other goods ensures that the daily requirements of the populace are satisfied while also fostering and enhancing the region’s economic activities.
Continuous oversight at all levels has significantly contributed to minimizing turnaround time and boosting unloading efficiency, as stated by Sharma.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), one of the 17 railway zones in India, operates not only in the northeastern states but also in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of northern Bihar.
In a noteworthy advancement, the capital of Mizoram, Aizawl, has become the fourth capital city in the Northeast to be linked by rail, joining Guwahati, Agartala, and Itanagar following the inauguration of the ambitious 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang railway project by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 13.