Train
Passenger Services to Start Soon on this Section
This
Railway Line Heralds A New Era of Broad Gauge Connectivity in North-Eastern
Region Working as Lifeline for Bark Valley in Assam and the States of Tripura,
Manipur & Mizoram
The Railway Line will be
Cruicial for the Supply of Foodgrains, Fertilizers, Petroleum Products Etc.in the
Region
This Rs.3500 Crore
National Project Completed as an Engneering Marvel Despite Difficult Hilly
Terrain, Geologially Unstable Hills and Difficult Law & Order Challenges
The Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar
Prabhu inaugurated Lumding-Silchar broad gauge section (Assam) by flagging off
a goods train via video conferencing at a function here today. The passenger
train services will be started soon on this section. This is a landmark
achievement by Indian Railways and important broad gauge railway connectivity
project. Lumding-Silchar section is Phase-1 of the two phase broad gauge line
project in this area. This Phase-I line provides seamless BG connectivity to
Barak Valley of Assam with the rest of the country. The phase-II consists of
gauge conversion of three sections namely; Badarpur – Kumarghat, Baraigram -
Dullabcherra and Silchar-Jiribam, which will be completed by 31.03.2016. States
of Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura will also be on Broad Gauge by March, 2016 on
completion of works of Phase - II. These states are dependent on this line for
supply of food-grains, fertilizers, petroleum products etc. This Lumdin-Silchar
line is a milestone for the connectivity in the N.E. region and one of the
largest gauge conversion projects of Indian Railways completed at a cost of Rs.
3500 crore. The project was completed despite difficult hilly terrain,
geologically unstable hills and difficult law & order challenges and has
been appreciated as an engineering marvel in all respects. A number of
railwaymen sacrificed their lives in the completion of this project.
The Minister of State
for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha was specially present on the occasion. Also
present on the occasion among others were Chairman, Railway Board, Shri
A.K.Mital, Member Engineering and other Board Member and senior railway
officials.
Speaking on this occasion, Railway Minister Shri
Suresh Prabhu said that opening up of Lumding, Silchar Broad Gauge railway line
marks a historical day in the history of Railways in north-eastern region and
he is happy to be a part of this history. He said that this is an important
mile-stone in the integration of north-eastern region to the nation. Shri
Suresh Prabhu said it will accelerate development in the region. The Minister
pointed out that an all time high fund allotment has been done for ongoing new
line, gauge conversion and doubling projects in north-eastern region. Shri
Suresh Prabhu congratulated railway engineers and the project team whose
unrelenting efforts could make this project see a reality and BG train movement
a possibility in a time bound and systematic manner. The Railway Minister said that
this railway line is the life line of Barak valley and the states of Tripura,
Manipur and Mizoram. I have flagged off a goods train
today on this line and soon passenger train services will also start plying on
this section, after the approval of Commissioner of Railway Safety. This will
also ensure movement of essential commodities like foodgrain, fertilizers and
petroleum products in this area. Indian Railway is committed to the development
of railway connectivity in the north eastern region. He informed that Recently
Meghalaya was brought on railway map for the first time and also capital of Arunachal
Pradesh was connected to the National Capital by a direct train.
The 210 kms. long Lumding
– Silchar Railway Line is life line for Barak Valley and the States of Tripura,
Manipur and Mizoram. These States are dependent on this line for supply of
foodgrains, fertilizers, Petroleum products etc. After Gauge Conversion of Guwahati
– Lumding line in 1994, the transhipment point got shifted from Guwahati to
Lumding. The Lumding-Silchar Gauge Conversion Project under the Northeast
Frontier Railway was sanctioned in 1996-97 and was declared as a National
Project in 2004. In the initial years of the project the flow of funds had been
very meager and allotments increased from 2004. The project was hit by
insurgency during the years 2006 to 2009 and Territorial Army had to be
deployed in the region to curb the insurgency. Normal working could be started
only after 2009.
The salient features
of completed section of Phase-I are as follows
Phase – I: Lumding – Silchar
Section (210 Km):
Cost :
Rs 3500 crores
Major Bridges : 79
no.
Minor Bridges : 340
no.
Tunnels :
21 No. (Total length 12.86 Km)
Mega block to complete the gauge
conversion was taken from 01.10.2014.
The work involved working at 101
locations simultaneously round the clock.
Many locations of
bridges, tunnels and cuttings needed to be tackled during the mega block.Law
and order situation also deteriorated, which was handled successfully by
Territorial Army deployed at site.First Broad Gauge Engine reached Silchar on
13.03.2015 which was greeted by 20,000 strong crowd at the Railway
station.First Broad Gauge trial train was taken to Silchar on 14.03.2015 and
another complete train trial carried out on 15.03.2015. Lumding- Silchar
section is being opened to goods traffic today and passenger services will be
started after inspection by Commissioner of Railway Safety in April, 2015.
Lumding – New Hafflong Section has been inspected by Commissioner of Railway
Safety.
This challenging
project could be completed within the deadline of 31st March, 2015
as a result of round the clock working and tireless efforts of officers, staff
and contractors of Northeastern .Frontier .Railway.
This line provides
seamless BG connectivity to Barak Valley of Assam with the rest of the country.
States of Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura will also be on Broad Gauge by March,
2016 on completion of works of Phase - II.
This line is bound to
change the landscape of the region and usher the Barak Valley along with the
States of Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram to the new era of socio-economic
development.
Salient feature of Phase-II are
as follows:-
Phase II: Badarpur – Kumarghat,
Baraigram - Dullabcherra and Silchar-Jiribam:
Total length :
224 Km
Cost :
Rs 1600 crore
Mega block of
remaining sections (total length 224 Km) viz. Badarpur – Kumarghat, Baraigram -
Dullabcherra and Silchar-Jribam will be taken from 01.10.2015 and to be
completed by 31.03.2016.
Alongwith this, the
line from Kumarghat to Agartala, which was opened as a Meter Gauge section in
2008, will also be converted to Broad Gauge in March, 2016. This will provide
seamless connectivity to the Capital of Tripura with the rest of the country.
Other Important developments in
the North East:
Meghalaya has been
brought on Railway map for the first time with commissioning of Dudhnoi –
Mendipathar New Line.
Itanagar, the capital
of Arunachal Pradesh was connected with the National Capital with the flagging
off of direct train between Naharlagun and New Delhi by Hon’ble Prime Minister.
Harmuti – North
Lakhimpur section has been commissioned for passenger traffic and North
Lakhimpur-Murkongselek section has been commissioned for goods traffic. With
this, the entire Rangiya – Murkongselek and Balipara - Bhalukpong (510 Km)
Metre Gauge line along the North Bank of Brahmaputra has been converted to
Broad Gauge.
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