In a significant move for Indian Railways, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IRCON International Limited to handle the maintenance of electrification infrastructure, including Overhead Equipment (OHE) and Power Supply Installations (PSI). This is the first such collaboration by Indian Railways, aimed at enhancing the maintenance and operational efficiency of the electrification works. The MoU was signed between Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, General Manager of NFR, and H M Gupta, Chief Managing Director of IRCON, on Thursday.

According to Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, CPRO of NFR, this MoU will focus on the electrification maintenance across the Lumding and Tinsukia divisions. With most sections in the Lumding and Tinsukia divisions electrified, the remaining 425 Route Kilometers (RKM) are expected to be commissioned by June 2025. As the pace of electrification intensifies, the demand for skilled personnel to maintain electric traction has also surged. This partnership will ensure that the maintenance and breakdown attention required for electric traction operations are addressed efficiently. Furthermore, the MoU opens the door for NFR to benefit from IRCON’s experience, expertise, and modern technologies in managing electrification infrastructure.