GUWAHATI: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has been operating freight trains round the clock to ensure sufficient supply of essential commodities during the countrywide lock down because of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chief Public Relations Officers (CPRO) here informed that the NFR managed to run more than 200 rakes of freight trains loaded with essential commodities for unloading at various locations as per need of common people and government departments till Thursday.
In NFR area, 153 freight rakes loaded with essential items were unloaded in various goods sidings till Thursday since the lockdown started. Freight trains loaded with food grains were unloaded at Batnaha, New Jalpaiguri, Maldah Court sidings under Katihar division and Udaipur in Lumding division, Salt & food grains were unloaded at Barpeta Road and Changsari under Rangiya division, wheat, food grains etc., were unloaded at Silchar and sugar at Jirania stations under Lumding division, potato was unloaded at New Tinsukia, food grains were unloaded at Jorhat, Tinsukia under Tinsukia division.
Nearly 2000 wagons comprising 16 rakes of petroleum products, nine rakes of coal, seven rakes of potato, four rakes of dolomite, one rakes of stone chips, one rake of cement, one rake of ballast and three rakes loaded with containers of miscellaneous items were loaded for transportation up to last month.
It may be mentioned here that, NFR has also started small-size parcel train for movement of items in small quantities by businessman or state government departments.
Essential services staffs of the NFR are working day and night to run freight train services throughout its jurisdiction ferrying essential commodities like salt, sugar, food-grains, petroleum products etc., for public distribution system.
Moreover, NFR is also carrying items like potatoes, milk, vegetables, fertilizers, iron/steel, fodder, edible oil and food-grains transported by private businessmen.
