In a significant step toward sustainable railway operations, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has replaced conventional plastic bed-roll bags with biodegradable alternatives across 25 trains. The initiative, formally launched on August 15 in collaboration with IIT-Guwahati, marks a major milestone in Indian Railways’ green transition.
Developed at IIT-Guwahati’s in-house research and development facility, the new bio-plastic bags are compostable and degrade quickly, offering an eco-friendly solution for distributing linen to passengers. Approximately 40,000 such bags will be deployed in the pilot phase, covering trains originating from terminals in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Officials stated that the initiative not only enhances passenger convenience but also contributes to reducing landfill waste, lowering the carbon footprint, and conserving natural resources. The biodegradable bags comply with ISO 17088 standards and are part of a broader strategy to phase out single-use plastics under India’s Plastic Waste Management Rules.
NFR’s General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava and IIT-Guwahati’s Professor Vimal Katiyar are leading the collaboration, which is being hailed as a scalable model for greener railway operations nationwide. The zone has also implemented other eco-friendly measures, including rapid electrification, solar energy generation, rainwater harvesting, bio-toilets, and AI-based intrusion detection systems to protect wildlife.
The initiative reflects Indian Railways’ commitment to aligning passenger services with environmental responsibility, setting a precedent for sustainable transport infrastructure.
