Indian Railways to link NE with Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar

ITANAGAR: The general manager of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), Anshul Gupta, on Saturday, informed that the Indian Railways (IR) plans on linking rail connectivity in the northeast with neighbouring countries, namely Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar.

According to Arunachal Times, Gupta told reporters in Guwahati that train connectivity with Bangladesh is nearing completion and that IR has started the assessment to link Nepal.

“The NFR has been allocated Rs 8,060 crore in the union budget this year, which is Rs 1,511 crore more than the budgetary allocation in the previous fiscal,” Arunachal Times quoted Gupta.

Gupta also said that ample funds had been sanctioned to all the northeastern states for upgrading the region’s rail connectivity.

“GPS-based train collision avoidance system (TCAS) in high-density networks (HDN) and highly utilised networks (HUN) routes of the NFR have been sanctioned in the budget.”

Reportedly, automatic block signalling (ABS) and centralised traffic control (CTC) for HDN routes of the NFR have also been sanctioned.

“Well-designed vista dome LHB coaches to deliver better travelling experience to tourist coming to the region will be introduced,” Gupta said.

“Through Kisan trains, farmers of the region can now send tea, rubber, turmeric, black pepper, mustard, soybean, betel nut, Mandarin (orange variety), pineapple, ginger, kiwi, litchi, passion fruit, chillies (green), large cardamom and other perishable products to markets outside the state,” he said.

“Along with the Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, five more trains will operate in the region,” he added.

(Edited by Gabriel G Momin)