Guwahati: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is moving forward with an aim to electrify all broad gauge routes of the zone amid the central government’s shift towards renewable energy.

“Electrification will significantly improve the mobility of trains on NFR and strengthen the rail network in north-eastern states”, an official said on the matter. “In addition to the reduction in pollution, the financial performance of the railways will also improve due to the shift from fossil fuel to electricity. This would also facilitate seamless traffic and also increase the average speed of trains resulting in punctuality of train movement”, he added.

The NFR has so far electrified 1956.63 km (45 percent of its total network) as part of its target of achieving net zero carbon emission. This includes 910 km in Assam, 9 km in Meghalaya, and 6 km in Nagaland. Headquartered in Guwahati, the NFR is responsible for the operation and expansion of the rail network all across Northeastern states and some districts of eastern Bihar and northern West Bengal. 

Recently, three NFR sections in Assam were inspected upon completion of the electrification process. These include the Badarpur- Silchar, Badarpur- Baraigram, and Baraigram- Dullabcherra sections. 

Railway officials have informed that the Indian Railway Construction International Limited (IRCON), Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), NFR/Construction, and Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE) have been executing the electrification works in a phased manner in the zone.

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