In a historic feat, East Central Railway (ECR) has set a new benchmark in Indian Railways’ freight operations by successfully running the country’s longest goods train. The trial, conducted on August 7, featured a 354-wagon rake spanning 4.5 km, hauled by seven locomotives from Garhwa Road to Ganj Khawaja under DDU division. Covering the 200-km stretch in five hours at an average speed of 40 kmph, the run marked the longest-ever freight train operation in India, ECR General Manager Chhatrasal Singh said.
Meanwhile, ECR has also completed a successful speed trial of passenger trains on the 412-km DDU–Pradhankhunta Junction route. The trial is expected to significantly reduce travel time between New Delhi and Howrah.
Further strengthening safety measures, the Railways has initiated the installation of its indigenous anti-collision technology ‘Kavach’ on the grand chord route to prevent mishaps.