NFR holds 97th ZRUCC meeting to discuss rail services and connectivity

MALIGAON, FEBRUARY 28 (MExN): The 97th meeting of the North Eastern Railway (NFR) Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) took place on February 28 at Maligaon. The session was chaired by Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, General Manager of NFR, with Anurag Agarwal, Deputy General Manager and Secretary of ZRUCC, managing the proceedings.

The meeting saw the participation of several political and government representatives, including Members of Parliament Dr Jayanta Kumar Roy (Jalpaiguri) and Khagen Murmu (Maldah Uttar), as well as Members of State Legislative Assemblies such as Rupjyoti Kurmi (Mariani) and Er Tapi Darang (Pasighat East). Attendees also included representatives from MPs, senior state officials, and members from the North-eastern states, as well as West Bengal and Bihar.

The main aim of the meeting was to provide a platform for railway users from various sectors to share their suggestions and concerns regarding the improvement of railway infrastructure and services in the region.

During his opening remarks, Shrivastava encouraged participants to voice their opinions on all aspects of railway services, assuring them that their feedback would be taken seriously by railway authorities. He provided updates on ongoing initiatives, including efforts to improve rail connectivity to the capitals of North-eastern states and the establishment of six new Gati Shakti cargo terminals. He also highlighted the introduction of 24/7 operations at several goods sheds to support local traders and businesses.

The General Manager also touched on NFR's progress toward achieving 100% electrification of its railway network by 2025. Other updates included the rollout of QR code machines at ticket counters to facilitate cashless transactions and the improvement of catering services across various stations. Additionally, Shrivastava noted the success of the Intrusion Detection System, which has significantly reduced elephant fatalities on railway tracks.

Key topics discussed during the meeting included the resumption of local train services, the addition of new train stoppages, and improvements in passenger amenities and security, both at stations and aboard trains. Discussions also covered the construction of new railway tracks, as well as the building of new railway underbridges (RUB), overbridges (ROB), and foot overbridges (FOB). The interlocking and elimination of level crossing (LC) gates were also addressed.