NEW DELHI : Eight freight trains were paired and operated as four trains for the first time in a single day to achieve time and crew optimisation, officials said. “Two trains each having 58 wagons along with engines were joined to make one train formation. Four such formations were made using eight freight trains and operated in a single day on Monday. We call it a long haul operation,” said Shashi Kant Tripathi, Chief Public Relations Officer, North Central Railway.

“Most importantly, we deployed only one train crew (a loco pilot, an assistant . . .