Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is gearing up for the upcoming heavy monsoon season, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring smooth travel for commuters and uninterrupted train services. Through sustained efforts and infrastructure upgrades, NFR has significantly improved train operations during the monsoons over the past few years, resulting in minimal disruptions despite heavy rainfall.
In preparation for the monsoon season, NFR is undertaking several key initiatives. These include the upkeep and maintenance of civil, mechanical, signalling, and electrical assets and equipment. Material mobilization to cope with the rainy season has been conducted over the last few months across the entire NFR jurisdiction, which spans parts of West Bengal, Bihar, and the eight Northeastern states, covering more than 6,400 kilometres of railway tracks.
The monsoon poses significant challenges for NFR, as it operates in a terrain near the foothills of the Lower Himalayan ranges, carved by turbulent streams and fed by some of the heaviest rainfall, reaching up to 7,000 mm annually. The Southwest monsoon typically starts in mid-May and continues until mid-October, except in the Lumding division, where it begins in mid-April. Heavy rainfall during this period often results in landslides, embankment cuts, and bridge overflows. To ensure passenger safety and track integrity, NFR has devised a detailed strategy for monsoon preparedness.
Preparations include the collection of materials at sensitive locations, cleaning drainage systems, clearing waterways of bridges, and marking danger levels on bridges. NFR has also deployed patrolling teams to continuously monitor the more than 6,400 kilometres of tracks within its jurisdiction for any defects caused by heavy rainfall. These patrols are equipped with the latest state-of-the-art equipment, including GPS trackers, luminous jackets, raincoats, waterproof trousers, safety helmets, safety shoes, and powerful search/flashlights. The teams patrol the tracks around the clock, guided by rainfall alerts from the Meteorological Department. Each patrol team is equipped with mobile phones to provide real-time information to the nearest station about any situation that could affect train movement. Additionally, stationary watchmen have been appointed at sensitive areas prone to landslides and at bridges where water levels are near danger levels.
Despite all precautions, there are instances when bridges are washed out, embankments are breached, and landslides occur. To address such situations swiftly, NFR has strategically placed materials like boulders, sand, sandbags, and various pre-fabricated bridge components in loaded wagons. Monsoon reserve stock includes approximately 309,909 cubic meters of boulders, 17,426 cubic meters of quarry dust, 22,000 cubic meters of silt, 45,000 sand-filled bags, and 289,800 empty cement bags.
NFR ensures continuous monitoring and takes all necessary measures to maintain disruption-free travel, providing all-weather connectivity and ensuring the safety of passengers.
