The Stores Department is performing the function of Materials Management to achieve the objective of procuring goods of right quality in right quantity at right time form right vendor at right price. In addition Stores Department is also handling various other activities pertaining to supply chain management and disposal of scrap which are as follows.

• Warehousing of Materials.
• Distribution of Materials to consignees.
• Inventory Management.
• Fabrication and Distribution of Uniforms.
• Printing of Tickets, Money Value Books and Forms etc.
• Disposal of Scrap.

The Stores Department procures around 14,500 stock and around 8000 non-stock items in a year. There are 23 depots on Northern Railway for stocking and distribution of stock items required for day to day maintenance of Electric and Diesel locomotives, Coaches and Wagons , Electric and Diesel multiple units in addition to passenger amenity items.

 To achieve better transparency in purchase, the procurement calendar of all items to be procured through advertised tenders has been placed on the Northern Railway web site. This has enabled prospective tenderers to keep track of tenders being called by the railway and to participate in tenders of their interest. Alongwith the procurement calendar, tender notices and tender documents for advertised tenders are also being placed on the web site, which can be accessed and down loaded directly by interested parties. The details of accepted tenders valuing more than Rs.50,000/- in each case are published in Weekly Stores Bulletin. The details of all tenders being published in Stores Weekly Bulletin are also being provided on the website which can be accessed on www.nr.indianrail.gov.in.

Stores Department has also introduced Electronic Procurement of materials wherein the vendors can submit their offer against Electronic Tender from remote places using his digital signature in secured manner as provided in Government of India IT Act 2000. The E-Procurement web site can be accessed at www.nreps.com

ISO-9001 certification has been obtained for two purchase sections at HQ and General Stores Depots at Shakurbasti and Alambagh. The process to get ISO certification for other Purchase Sections and Depots is already underway.

Uniforms are being provided to all categories of staff as per existing Dress Regulations and instructions issued by Ministry of Railways from time to time. Around 1 lakh Winter Uniforms and around 3.29 lakhs Summer Uniforms are distributed on Northern Railway every year.

There are two Printing Presses on Northern Railway, one at Shakurbasti and other at Alambagh. General Printing Press Shakurbasti handles printing of various books and forms, PRS, UTS and SPTM Tickets, Shatabdi and Rajdhani Tickets, Monthly Season Tickets and other Money Value Books. The Printing Press at Alambagh has the facility for fabricating and printing card tickets for supply to Divisions.

Scrap disposal is another activity of Stores Department wherein scrap generated over the Northern Railways is sold through fortnightly auctions held in General Stores Depot Shakurbasti & Alambagh and Carriage & Wagon Depot Jagadhari.