NFR Enhances Passenger Comfort with New High-Tech Laundry Facility at Rautara

 Guwahati, 25^th May, 2026:

In a major step towards enhancing passenger comfort and hygiene standards, Northeast Frontier Railway has commissioned a modern BOOT Laundry facility at Rautara under Katihar Division. With a processing capacity of 24 tonnes per day, the facility is capable of catering to the entire linen washing requirement of Katihar Division and will ensure uninterrupted supply of clean and hygienic bedrolls even during the busiest travel seasons.

The state-of-the-art laundry will provide freshly washed and high-quality linens for major Katihar Division based trains including the Amrapali Express and Champaran Humsafar Express. Equipped with advanced automated machinery, the facility ensures 100% stain-free washing, thereby improving passenger comfort and reducing complaints related to hygiene and linen quality during train journeys.

The fully mechanised laundry system has been designed to efficiently handle large volumes of linen while optimising the usage of water, power, steam and chemicals. The washing process begins with weighing and feeding of soiled linens into an automatic conveyor system. Through computerised operations, the linens are loaded into a tunnel batch washer for thorough washing and cleaning.

After washing, robotic feeding systems automatically transfer the linens from the washer to the dryers. Water extraction is carried out through a hydraulic pressing system to facilitate maximum removal of moisture. The linens are then moved through shuttle conveyors and dried in industrial dryers.

Subsequently, the linens pass through advanced ironing and automatic folding machines to ensure proper finishing and presentation. To maintain strict quality standards, a Whiteness Meter is used to check the cleanliness and brightness of the linens before dispatch. Finally, the linen sets are hygienically packed and supplied to their respective trains.

Currently, 08 mechanized laundries are operational across Northeast Frontier Railway. Additionally, the existing mechanized laundry at Kamakhya (KYQ) has been augmented from 4 tonnes to 6 tonnes capacity, further strengthening the zone’s capability to meet the growing demand for quality linen services.

The commissioning of this advanced BOOT Laundry facility is another significant initiative by Northeast Frontier Railway towards improving onboard passenger amenities and maintaining high standards of cleanliness, hygiene and comfort for passengers travelling across Katihar Division.