North East’s First Expressway to Shorten Panchgram-Guwahati Travel to 5 Hours, Key Advantages to Barak

The investment and infrastructure summit of Assam, Advantage Assam, is been held in Guwahati since Tuesday. On Day 1 of Advantage Assam 2.0, the state signed 114 MoUs worth approximately ₹1.89 lakh crore. Yesterday, the major “advantage” assured to Barak Valley was in terms of rail connectivity. Today’s summit mainly focused on investments from various ministries, bolstering Assam’s connectivity—both surface and water.

Attending a session on Road Transport, Railways, and Shipping, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday (February 26) said, “So far, we have been discussing various development projects on roads, but we didn’t have any official confirmation from our Union Minister until today. We discussed the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor and Numaligarh Tunnel, but people have only heard about them from the Chief Minister. Today, the Union Minister of Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari Ji, has announced a huge infrastructure package of ₹55,179 crore.”

“We talk about Barak and Brahmaputra but the road distance has created a mental distance between us also. If the distance is 12 to 16 hours, this creates a distance among people also. Within this year, the Silchar-Saurashtra connectivity, which is missing between Silchar to Lumding, will happen this year. But that road is on Dima Hasao hills, which will always be prone to flood and rain. After a long discussion, we have created a via media that how can we reach Panchgram and Silchar in 5 hours. Today, Nitin Gadkari ji has announced a four-lane road from Guwahati to Barapani (Umiam, Meghalaya) and directly from Barapani to Panchgram, through a lot of tunnels we will reach Panchgram where the papermill was. This is about to be sanctioned, this project will have an investment of 25,000 crores”, further mentioned CM Sarma.

Calling this a game-changing project, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma described it as the “first express highway in Northeast India.” He stated, “Before this, we didn’t have an express highway. This expressway will connect the Brahmaputra and Barak Valleys, allowing us to reach Silchar in just five hours. Our goal is to connect Guwahati with every part of Assam within a travel time of five hours.”

The major “advantage” to Barak Valley from Advantage Assam 2.0 came in the form of railway connectivity. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced multiple new railway projects for the state on Day 1 of the Advantage Assam Summit in Guwahati on Tuesday (February 25). Two intercity trains connecting Guwahati with Silchar and Agartala will further enhance connectivity in this region.

The Minister highlighted the government’s success in constructing 1,824 km of new railway tracks in Assam and the Northeast since 2014. He also noted the commissioning of two Gati Shakti cargo terminals in Assam at Moinarband (Silchar) and Cinnamara. Additionally, he announced the development of six more Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals, which will significantly strengthen the region’s railway network.

Regarding the prospects and growth of riverine infrastructure, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said, “The Barak and Brahmaputra rivers have immense potential to facilitate passenger, cargo, and cruise movement.”