More NE areas get broad-gauge rail
Bolstering the NDA government’s Look-East policy, the existing railway network in the north-eastern region now has broad-gauge connectivity, and capitals of geographically sensitive Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura, namely Itanagar as well as Agartala, have been linked with broadgauged lines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was apprised of these facts during a meeting which he undertook recently to review major infrastructure sectors like railways, roads and highways, civil aviation, ports and the rural roads programme.
Top sources told this newspaper that during a course of detailed presentations made before Mr Modi on the sectors, senior railway ministry officials told him that by 2020, Imphal, the capital of Manipur, will also be connected with broad-gauge rail lines.
Currently, work is on to link Kohima, Gangtok and Aizawl with these lines.
Till two years ago, while the railway network existed only within Assam and the state’s outer reaches, the lines were meter-gauged, which made it difficult for faster trains to traverse the region.
Now, sources said that not only is the existing rail network being stretched out to other north-eastern states, these lines are broadgauged. The PM, it is learnt, appreciated the efforts being put by the ministry in the region and while reviewing the progress of other infrastructure sectors, underlined the need for a consolidated approach and adherence to strict timelines with regard to completion of infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, officials said that overall in the railway sector, 2,013 km of rail lines were electrified in 2016-17 against 1,730 km which were electrified in 2015-16.
New lines measuring 953 km were laid in 2016-17, compared to 813 km during 2015-16, sources informed.
Also more than than 1,500 unmanned level crossings have been eliminated in 2016-17.