The Northeast Frontier Railwayhas operated more than 150 rakes of freight trains loaded with essential commodities for unloading at various locations since the lockdown started, a senior official said on Thursday.Freight trains loaded with food grains were unloaded at Batnaha, New Jalpaiguri, Maldah Court sidings under Katihar division and Udaipur in Lumding division while salt and food grains was unloaded at Barpeta Road and Changsari under Rangiya division, the officer said.NF Railway's 153 freight rakes loaded with essential items unloaded in various goods sidings since the lockdown started, NF Railway spokesperson Subhanan Chanda said in a statement on Thursday.Wheat and other food grains were unloaded at Silchar, sugar at Jirania station, potato at New Tinsukia, food grains at Jorhat and Tinsukia.Nearly 2,000 wagons comprising 16 rakes of petroleum products, nine rakes of coal, seven rakes of potato, four rakes of dolomite, one rake of stone chips, cement and ballast each and three rakes loaded with containers of miscellaneous items have been loaded for transportation, Chanda said.Freight train services are ferrying essential commodities like salt, sugar, food-grains, petroleum products and others for public distribution system.NF Railway was also carrying items like potatoes, milk, vegetables, fertilizers, iron/steel, fodder, edible oil and food-grains transported by private businessmen so that there is no shortage of these commodities in market for the need of common people, he said.NF Railway has also started small size parcel train for movement of items in small quantities by businessman or state government departments, Chanda added.
