Agartala, August 2, 2025: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) took a major step toward sustainability by signing two crucial Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on Friday at the General Manager’s Conference Hall, NFR Headquarters, Maligaon. The event was chaired by Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, General Manager of NFR, was attended by senior railway officials, all Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs), Chief Workshop Managers (CWMs), and representatives from the Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA), Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), and M/s Kusum Udyog via video conferencing.

In a press release issued on Saturday, NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma stated, “These MoUs are a testament to NFR’s commitment to sustainable development and to integrating eco-conscious practices into its operations.”

Under the first MoU, NFR has entered a tripartite agreement with PCBA and M/s Kusum Udyog to transform the Guwahati Railway Station into a 100% plastic recycling hub. A six-member task force, led by the Station Superintendent of Guwahati, has been formed to implement the initiative.

“This initiative will involve upgrading garbage storage systems, operationalizing a compost plant, and conducting frequent awareness drives among passengers,” Sharma said. He added, “With the technical guidance of PCBA and the recycling capabilities of Kusum Udyog, we are confident of establishing a sustainable plastic management ecosystem at the station.”

The second MoU signed with IIT Guwahati aims to introduce biodegradable and compostable bags to replace plastic packets used for distributing bedrolls in AC coaches. The initiative will begin as a pilot project on the Brahmaputra Mail, which runs between Kamakhya and New Delhi.

“Our goal is to extend this initiative to all trains originating from Guwahati and Kamakhya, and eventually across the entire NFR zone,” Sharma noted. “This is a fusion of cutting-edge research and practical implementation that will enhance passenger experience while protecting the environment.”

General Manager Shrivastava reiterated that both initiatives align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Transformation by Transportation” for the Northeast. “Environmental sustainability is not an option but a necessity. Through these MoUs, NFR is reinforcing its role as a leader in green transportation,” he said during the event.

With these developments, NFR continues its journey toward creating a cleaner, greener, and more responsible railway network in the region.