0 Trains from (HYB)HYDERABAD DECAN to (HSA)HASIMARA

N. F. Railway o­n 20^th March, 2023 signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RailTel Corporation of India Ltd, for installation of Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to avert train-elephant collision and disaster mitigation measures. N. F. Railway has been taking many initiatives to prevent and detect movement of wild animals, especially elephants, approaching the tracks. Installation of IDS in important sections is o­ne such of them.

 The MoU was signed by G.R. Das, Chief Communication Engineer, N. F. Railway and Zakir Siddiqui, Executive Director/Eastern Region/Railtel in presence of Shri Anshul Gupta, General Manager/N. F. Railway and Shri Sanjay Kumar, Chief Managing Director/RailTel Corporation of India Ltd.

After 100% success of the pilot project o­n IDS that was undertaken by N.F. Railway in the Chalsa – Hasimara section of the Dooars area under Alipurduar Division in West Bengal and Lanka – Hawaipur section under Lumding Division in Assam, it has now been decided to install the system gradually in all other elephant corridors spread over N.F. Railway.

 The system is based o­n Artificial Intelligence (AI) and existing optical fibres will be used as sensors to identify movements of wild animals at locations and alert control offices, station masters, gateman and loco pilots. It uses fibre optic based acoustic system working o­n the principle of dialysis scattering phenomenon to sense the real time presence of elephants o­n the track. The AI based software can monitor un-usual movements up to a stretch of 60 km. In addition to it the IDS will also help in detecting rail fracture, trespassing o­n railway track and alert about disaster mitigation due to unauthorised digging near railway tracks, landslides near tracks etc.

It is important to mention here that the pilot project has already been immensely successfully in saving lives of many elephants approaching railway track from being hit by trains.

N. F. Railway has been taking several initiatives to improve the freight transportation and provide better customer interface. Among such initiatives, few more stations have been opened for handling of both outward & inward goods traffic during the month of October, 2022.

To improve customer interface and further augment freight transportation, Moinarband station under Lumding division has been opened for outward loading of stone chips and boulder traffic o­nly w.e.f 01^st October, 2022. Namrup station under Tinsuika division has been opened for handling of outward coal traffic for a period of three months w.e.f 10^th October, 2022. Chaprakata station under Rangiya division has been opened for handling of both outward and inward goods traffic except coal, POL, live stock, explosive and crane consignment w.e.f 13^thOctober, 2022. Hasimara station under Alipurduar division has been opened for handling of inward automobile traffic w.e.f 14^th October, 2022. Earlier, it was opened for handling of both outward & inward goods traffic except coal, POL, live stock, explosive, crane consignment and handling of container traffic.

Moreover, Kamalajari station under Lumding division has been opened for handling of outward iron and steel consignment (crane consignment) w.e.f 28^th October, 2022. Tetelia station under Lumding division has been opened for handling of outward automobile traffic for a period of six months w.e.f 31^st October, 2022. Both the stations were earlier opened for handling of all outward & inward goods traffic including coal except POL, live stock, explosive and crane consignment.

As part of digital initiative, e-payment of freight facility has been provided for the first time for booking of freight like cement from Lanka station under Lumding division.

Further, leasing of Parcel Van for round trip has been commissioned in train no. 15636/15635 (Guwahati – Okha – Guwahati Express) from 24^th October, 2022; train no. 12552/12551 (Kamakhya – SMVT Bengaluru – Kamakhaya Express) from 26^th October, 2022 & train no. 22449/22450 (Guwahati – New Delhi – Guwahati Express) from 01^stNovember, 2022 which will result in sustainable growth in revenue.

      Improvement of customer interface and opening of new terminals leads to increase loading and unloading of freight trains. As a result of which revenue of N.F. Railway will significantly grow in the coming years.