Guwahati, April 20 (IANS) The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has achieved significant milestones in track modernisation, maintenance, and safety during the financial year 2025-26, setting several new records in its history, officials announced on Monday.
These accomplishments reflect NFR’s continued commitment to enhancing operational efficiency, passenger safety, and infrastructure reliability, NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said.
He said that a major technological milestone was achieved with the introduction of Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing for testing Flash Butt Welds during the third quarter of 2024-25.
Building on this initiative, a total of 53,544 welds were tested during 2025-26, significantly strengthening track safety and reliability through advanced inspection techniques.
Sharma said that the NFR recorded its highest-ever track renewal progress, completing 457 Complete Track Renewal units during 2025–26. This marks a 33.07 per cent increase over the previous year’s achievement of 343.08 units, he added.
In addition, rail renewals of 449.42 track kilometres were completed, another record in the zone’s history. Sleeper renewals reached 465.02 track kilometres, showcasing substantial progress towards the annual target of 502.
To further strengthen track structure, a record 9.57 lakh cubic metres of ballast was supplied and inserted during the year, 6 per cent higher than the previous year’s 9.01 lakh cubic metres.
This improvement has contributed significantly to enhanced riding quality and overall track stability.
Track fittings renewal also surpassed expectations, achieving cumulative progress of 299.61 km against a target of 205 km, exceeding it by an impressive 46.15 per cent.
Meanwhile, 4,312 points were tamped, surpassing the annual target of 4,150 by 3.9 per cent, ensuring smoother train operations and reduced maintenance requirements.
According to Sharma, operational efficiency improved further with increased loop line speeds at 39 stations, upgraded from 15 kmph to 30 kmph, exceeding the previous year’s progress of 21 stations.
Additionally, deep screening of 258 turnouts was completed, surpassing the annual target by 47.43 per cent, enhancing track resilience and longevity.
In the area of track safety monitoring, Ultrasonic Flaw Detection testing covered an extensive 20,212.61 km, exceeding the annual target of 19,217 km. NFR also successfully rectified 23 track layouts, surpassing its target and improving operational safety and flexibility, the Chief Public Relations Officer said.
Safety infrastructure received a major boost with the erection of 154.53 km of safety fencing, exceeding the annual target of 100 km by 54.53 per cent. This initiative plays a crucial role in preventing trespassing and ensuring safer railway operations.
These record-breaking accomplishments underline Northeast Frontier Railway’s dedication to adopting advanced technologies, strengthening infrastructure, and ensuring safer, more efficient railway services for passengers and freight movement across the region.
–IANS
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