Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has launched a dedicated Parcel Cargo Express Train (PCET) between Agartala in Tripura and Sanehwal in Punjab to support freight movement from the northeastern region to larger markets. The service is designed to transport key commodities such as rubber and pineapples, boosting trade infrastructure and local economies.

According to Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of NFR, the PCET will operate twice monthly under train numbers 00832 and 00833, amounting to 144 round trips over six years. Initially, each train will consist of 15 parcel vans and one brake van, with plans to increase capacity to 20 vans after six months.

The project was awarded to AVG Logistics Limited through a transparent bidding process, with a contract value of Rs 689.5 Mn. This strategic move aims to reduce transit times and enhance logistics reliability for regional traders and farmers.

Tripura, India’s second-largest rubber-producing state after Kerala, cultivates over 97,000 hectares of rubber plantations, yielding more than 102,000 tonnes annually. The state also produces 128,000 tonnes of pineapples each year, exported across India and globally.

Source:IANS