Northeast Frontier Railway sets new record in mechanised track renewal
A train comes to a halt at the New Delhi railway station
The Alipurduar Division of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has achieved a major milestone in mechanised track renewal by recording its highest-ever single-day output of 1,033 track metres using Plasser’s Quick Relaying System (PQRS), officials said on Friday.
NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said the achievement, recorded on December 23, reflects the effective deployment of high-output mechanised track-laying technology, optimised traffic blocks, and close coordination between the engineering and operating departments.
During the current track renewal programme, the Northeast Frontier Railway has undertaken a total of 290.8 km of track renewal across its jurisdiction.
Division-wise progress includes 51.33 km in Katihar Division, 29.77 km in Alipurduar Division in West Bengal, 75.19 km in Rangiya Division, 44.98 km in Lumding Division, and 69.96 km in Tinsukia Division, demonstrating a focused and systematic approach to infrastructure upgradation across the zone.
The PQRS (Plasser’s Quick Relaying System) comprises self-propelled cranes and is compact in size, significantly reducing maintenance costs. The system is widely used for new track construction as well as the modernisation of existing track infrastructure.
With the deployment of PQRS, rail panels can be replaced in considerably less time, allowing longer track lengths to be renewed within shorter traffic blocks, Sharma said.
He added that the system enables complete retrieval of old rail panels directly from the work site to the base, eliminating the need for additional freight carriage arrangements.
The successful execution of high-output track renewal operations highlights Northeast Frontier Railway’s continued emphasis on modern track renewal practices, asset reliability, and maintenance efficiency.
The Northeast Frontier Railway, headquartered at Maligaon in Guwahati, operates across the Northeastern states, as well as seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.
