Over 90 pc of Northeast Frontier Railway network electrified: Officials

Guwahati, Oct 14 The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has a total network of 7,362 track kilometres and more than 90 per cent of the network has already been electrified, top officials said on Tuesday.

The NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava held a meeting with the Members of Parliament (MPs) whose constituencies are served by Rangiya and Lumding divisions, in Guwahati.

During the meeting, Shrivastava told that at present, NFR has a total railway network of 7,362 track kilometres and several new line projects are under implementation to further expand this network within its jurisdiction.

He said that the NFR has made remarkable progress towards achieving 100 per cent railway electrification.

"Over 90 per cent of the network has already been electrified and prestigious trains such as the Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express and Naharlagun–New Delhi Express are now operating with end-to-end electric traction," the NFR General Manager said.

He also told that double-line railway work has been completed on key sections such as New Bongaigaon–Agthori, New Bongaigaon–Azara and Guwahati–Lumding, while doubling up to New Tinsukia has already been sanctioned.

In addition, a new bridge over the river Brahmaputra near the existing Saraighat Bridge and a third line between Kamakhya and Guwahati have been approved for construction.

The General Manager emphasised that the NFR operates one of the most complex rail networks in the country, passing through challenging hilly terrains, with the highest number of tunnels, bridges and the longest elephant corridors across the Indian Railways system.

Highlighting recent achievements, he said that Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, has been connected to the railway network for the first time and freight train operations have commenced from Molvom railway station in Nagaland.

He added that the NFR is also adopting modern AI-based technologies to enhance infrastructure safety, passenger comfort and wildlife protection.

Shrivastava also informed that station upgradation under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is in progress at 92 stations across NFR jurisdiction, including 60 stations in the Northeast region.

Haibargaon railway station in Assam has become the first Amrit station in the Northeast region, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Altogether 11 MPs from four Northeastern states -- Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur -- were present at the meeting.

The Divisional Railway Manager of Rangiya, Anant Sadashiva, and Divisional Railway Manager of Lumding, Samir Lohani, along with senior railway officials of NFR Headquarters Maligaon, near Guwahati, were also present.

The meeting was co-ordinated by Anurag Agarwal, Deputy General Manager of NFR.

NFR's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, said that the meeting aimed to apprise the Members of Parliament about the developmental works undertaken by the NFR and to encourage constructive feedback from public representatives for better service delivery.

The MPs actively participated in a productive interactive session with senior officials of NFR and the MPs also put forth valuable suggestions regarding the extension and improvement of railway connectivity, upgradation of stations and preservation of heritage railway assets, the CPRO added.

The General Manager acknowledged the suggestions and assured that they would be implemented to the extent feasible.

The NFR operates in the Northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of Bihar.

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