What is “Ne Division” in Indian Railways?

“Ne” is the official telegraphic code allotted to the Northeast Frontier Railway’s (NFR) New Jalpaiguri Division (station code NJP).
Every division, workshop, production unit and even some major stations has a unique two-letter telegraphic code used in train-control circuits, freight billing, wagon marking, coaching stock accounting, crew link charts, etc.
Hence, whenever you see “Ne” stencilled on a wagon, written on a crew running-certificate or flashed on a control console, it simply means the asset, crew or rake “belongs to” or “is being maintained by” the New Jalpaiguri Division of NFR.

1. Technical Particulars of Ne Division

2. Historical Milestones

• 1950–55: Post-partition, Indian portion of the Assam Bengal Railway was clubbed into the Assam Railway. Siliguri became a critical choke-point for rail traffic to North-East India.
• 15 Aug 1958: Railway Board sanctions bifurcation of the then 2,600 km Assam Railway into two divisions – Lumding and “New Jalpaiguri”.
• 1 Oct 1958: First Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) takes charge; initial jurisdiction 765 km.
• 1960s: Conversion of erstwhile NG (762 mm) sections to BG starts (Siliguri-Jogbani- metre gauge till 1966).
• 1984: Siliguri Diesel Shed commissioned with 80 loco capacity to cater to steep “Siliguri–Darjeeling–Alipurduar” ghat sections.
• 1990: Alipurduar Workshop upgraded to undertake BOX-N wagon POH; becomes the only wagon workshop in NFR.
• 2002-03: Rail-cum-road bridge over Torsa (Chapramari) completed – last MG link converted to BG.
• 2010: New Jalpaiguri becomes first “Green Category” A-1 station of NFR under ISO-14001.
• 2015 onwards: Electrification picks up pace – Siliguri-New Bongaigaon (double) and Sevoke-Rangpo (new line, 44 km) targeted.
• 2022: 100 % LED lighting, 5-star GRIHA rating for DRM office annex.
• 2023: Mission Raftaar sanctioned – Siliguri-New Bongaigaon section to be upgraded for 130 km/h.

3. Infrastructure & Operational Peculiarities

3.1 Geographical Challenges

• Chicken-Neck corridor: 33 km single-line section between New Jalpaiguri and New Maynaguri handles > 140 trains/day (one of the densest single lines in India).
• Dooars & Terai: 14 major rivers, 365 bridges, 33 tunnels (longest 1.7 km – Shishubari).
• Gradient: Up to 1 in 37 in Alipurduar–Siliguri ghats; banking engines compulsory for > 4,000 t freight.

3.2 Signalling

• “Ne” control area: 83 % panel-interlocked, 52 % with LED colour-light signals.
• Automatic Block: Siliguri–New Bongaigaon (175 km) completed in 2021.

3.3 Rolling Stock

• Diesel: WDP-4/4D, WDG-4/4D, WDS-6 (Siliguri shed homed).
• Electric: WAP-5, WAG-9 (transferred from Howrah/Asansol after electrification).
• Special: NDM-6 (Darjeeling Himalayan Railway – heritage 610 mm).

4. Current Status (2023-24)

• Electrification 617 RKM completed; target 100 % by 03/2025.
• Doubling 218 km sanctioned under FY 2022-23 pink book.
• Station redevelopment NJP (INR 485 cr) & Siliguri Jn (INR 120 cr) taken up under Amrit Bharat.
• Freight loading 16.2 MT in FY-23 (highest ever, +12 %).
• Passenger earnings INR 1,095 cr (FY-23) – 3 rd highest in NFR after Guwahati & Lumding.
• Safety Zero passenger fatalities in consecutive 3 years (2020-22).

5. Quick-Fire Data Capsule (RRB memory trick)

• Ne → New Jalpaiguri division (remember “Ne”xt to NJP).
• States/UTs covered: WB, Sikkim (future), Bihar (fringe), Bhutan & Nepal (IR border).
• Highest station – Ghum (2,258 m) – on DHR, still under Ne division.
• Longest bridge – Coronation (3.8 km) over Torsa, between Hasimara–Alipurduar.
• Zonal HQ (Maligaon, Guwahati) controls Ne, but Ne has separate DRM.

6. Practice MCQs (Railway Exam Pattern)

Click the arrow ▶ to reveal the correct answer.

1. What is the telegraphic code for New Jalpaiguri Division?
   a) Nj b) Nf c) Ne d) Np

   Answer

   c) Ne

2. Ne Division belongs to which Railway Zone?
   a) Eastern b) East Central c) Northeast Frontier d) South Eastern

   Answer

   c) Northeast Frontier

3. When was New Jalpaiguri Division functionally inaugurated?
   a) 15 Aug 1947 b) 1 Apr 1950 c) 1 Oct 1958 d) 14 Apr 1960

   Answer

   c) 1 Oct 1958

4. The Diesel Loco Shed of Ne Division is located at
   a) Alipurduar b) Siliguri c) New Bongaigaon d) Guwahati

   Answer

   b) Siliguri

5. Which of the following is the only wagon workshop of NFR?
   a) New Bongaigaon b) Lumding c) Alipurduar d Dibrugarh

   Answer

   c) Alipurduar

6. The steepest gradient in Ne Division is
   a) 1 in 100 b) 1 in 60 c) 1 in 37 d) 1 in 20

   Answer

   c) 1 in 37

7. Which heritage railway is maintained by Ne Division?
   a) Nilgiri b) Kalka-Shimla c) Darjeeling Himalayan d) Matheran

   Answer

   c) Darjeeling Himalayan

8. The station at the highest altitude under Ne Division is
   a) Siliguri b) Ghum c) New Jalpaiguri d) Alipurduar

   Answer

   b) Ghum

9. The longest bridge of Ne Division is over which river?
   a) Tista b) Torsa c) Jaldhaka d) Sankosh

   Answer

   b) Torsa

10. As of 2023, approximate route kilometres of Ne Division
    a) 850 km b) 1,046 km c) 1,350 km d) 1,500 km

    Answer

    b) 1,046 km

11. Which of the following is an international interchange point of Ne Division?
    a) Jogbani b) Gede c) Petrapole d) Raxaul

    Answer

    a) Jogbani (Nepal border)

12. What is the sanctioned speed under Mission Raftaar for Siliguri–New Bongaigaon?
    a) 110 km/h b) 130 km/h c) 160 km/h d) 100 km/h

    Answer

    b) 130 km/h

13. The first ISO-14001 certified station of NFR is
    a) Guwahati b) New Jalpaiguri c) Lumding d) Dibrugarh

    Answer

    b) New Jalpaiguri

14. Which loco class is NOT homed at Siliguri Diesel Shed?
    a) WDP-4D b) WDG-4D c) WDS-6 d) WAG-9

    Answer

    d) WAG-9 (electric)

15. In FY-23, freight loading of Ne Division crossed
    a) 10 MT b) 12 MT c) 16 MT d) 20 MT

    Answer

    c) 16 MT

16. The automatic block signalling section of Ne Division stretches from
    a) NJP–Alipurduar b) NJP–New Bongaigaon c) Hasimara–Guwahati d) Siliguri–Ghum

    Answer

    b) NJP–New Bongaigaon

17. The divisional headquarters of Ne Division is situated at
    a) New Jalpaiguri b) Siliguri c) Alipurduar d) Maligaon

    Answer

    b) Siliguri

7. One-liner Revision Cheat-Sheet

• Ne = New Jalpaiguri Division, NFR.
• Born 1958; 1,046 RKM; 131 stations; Siliguri HQ.
• Diesel shed Siliguri (250 locos), wagon workshop Alipurduar.
• Covers chicken-neck, Dooars, DHR heritage; 1 in 37 gradient.
• Electrification 59 %, target 2025; Mission Raftaar 130 km/h.
• Highest station Ghum (2,258 m); longest bridge Coronation (Torsa).
• Zero pax fatality 3 yrs; 16 MT freight, INR 1,095 cr earnings (FY-23).