Northeast Frontier Railway Experiences Cement Transportation Boom in 2025-26
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Guwahati, April 18 (NationPress) The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has made remarkable strides in the rail transportation of cement during the financial year 2025-26, with significant improvements in both loading and unloading operations at its terminals, officials announced on Saturday.
NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma reported that the inward movement of cement traffic has surged by 7.8 percent, climbing from 9.05 million tonnes in 2024-25 to 9.76 million tonnes in the current fiscal year. On the loading side, there was an astonishing increase of 152.7 percent. These advancements showcase NFR’s ongoing commitment to boost freight efficiency and aid in infrastructure development throughout the Northeast region, Sharma stated.
A highlight of these achievements was the unloading of the first cement rake at Sairang Railway Station in Mizoram on September 14, 2025. This rake, shipped from near Guwahati, marks the inaugural freight cargo train to operate on the newly established Bairabi (in southern Assam) – Sairang (near Aizawl) rail route, which significantly enhances regional connectivity.
Further bolstering cement cargo operations, NFR achieved another milestone by unloading its first cement rake at Molvom Railway Station in Nagaland on September 24, 2025, as confirmed by the NFR CPRO.
This rake consisted of 41 wagons filled with cement from a private company based in Telangana.
Additionally, the Railway introduced its inaugural goods train powered by an electric locomotive in the bustling cement production hub at Tetelia (part of the Lumding Division of NFR) on March 11, 2025, which efficiently handled 50 rakes in February 2025.
Sharma also noted another significant development, as the first goods train carrying cement was successfully deployed at Nischintapur terminal near Agartala on March 24, 2025. This consignment from a cement plant siding at Tetelia represents a historic milestone under the Agartala-Akhaura New Rail Link Project, further enhancing freight connectivity in Tripura and the Northeast region, added the official.