The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has recorded an impressive surge in freight operations, setting new benchmarks in the Tinsukia and Katihar divisions during January 2025. The remarkable growth highlights the railway’s crucial role in ensuring seamless transportation of essential commodities and strengthening economic activity across the region. According to NFR officials, the Tinsukia division witnessed a 15.9% increase in freight loading, reaching 0.1225 million tonnes, compared to the previous year. The division achieved a significant milestone on January 24, 2025, by loading 273 wagons in a single day. Freight unloading operations also surged, with 4,124 wagons offloaded in January, marking a sharp rise from 3,204 wagons in December 2024.
The Katihar division outperformed even further, registering a 21.19% growth in freight loading, which climbed to 0.2322 million tonnes compared to the previous year. The division also achieved record-breaking freight unloading, handling 15,905 wagons—the highest in the ongoing financial year. Additionally, NFR set a new benchmark in train interchanges. On January 5, 2025, the railway recorded its highest-ever daily interchange, managing 158 trains in a single day across its network. The total number of train interchanges for January stood at 4,235, surpassing the 4,088 recorded in the same period last year.
The consistent improvement in freight operations underscores NFR’s growing efficiency and its commitment to enhancing logistics infrastructure. Officials attributed the success to better planning, enhanced coordination, and optimized use of available resources.