- DIMAPUR — In a
major stride towards enhancing railway safety and operational efficiency, the
Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has undertaken a comprehensive initiative to
upgrade passenger running lines across all five of its divisions — Katihar,
Alipurduar, Rangiya, Lumding and Tinsukia.
- In a press release, the NFR stated that this mission-mode
initiative aims to bring loop lines at par with mainline standards to support
the safe and reliable movement of trains.
- The move was prompted by the growing traffic on loop lines
and the potential safety hazards associated with outdated track infrastructure.
By prioritising critical locations and adopting modern track maintenance practices,
NFR is working to minimize unforeseen risks and improve the overall operational
environment.
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- “The year 2024–25 has seen record-breaking achievements
under this initiative. The scope of the upgradation includes strengthening of
ballast, improving track geometry, enhancing drainage systems and deploying
advanced profiling techniques to assess track parameters at regular intervals.
- “In fact, a total of 9.01 lakh cum of ballast was supplied
and laid—the highest ever for NFR— surpassing the annual target by 36.52% i.e.
6.60 lakh cum. Also, through Rail Renewal (348.68 Tkm) and Sleeper Renewal
(337.48 Tkm) have been done exceeding its targets, with the latter marking the
highest progress in NFR history”, the NFR informed.
- Track tamping reached 10,672 km (32% above target), and
4,826 points were tamped both the highest ever achievements. In addition,
254.50 equivalent sets of turnout renewals were completed, and 196 Thick Web
Switches along with 212 WCMS crossings were installed to enhance safety over
points and crossings.
- These efforts were complemented by the removal or relaxation
of 14 PSRs (Permanent Speed Restrictions) , saving 26.10minutes in overall
journey time along with installation of 9 new Foot Over Bridges for improved
passenger amenities. Additionally, updated digital registers and a unified
asset management system are being implemented to monitor and manage the
improved track assets efficiently.
