Silchar-Lumding to soon have electric trains running on the track

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Great news for railway commuters of North Eastern India, the government of India in its Union Budget 2018, sanctioned Rs 2,353 crores for electrification of the entire track-length of N. F. Railway. This will cover 2536 kilometers of track-length, which includes BADARPUR-LUMDING, BADARPUR-SILCHAR (including Arunachal-Jiribam, Katakhal-Bhairabi) and BADARPUR-SABROOM (Badarpur-Karimganj-Agartala-Karimganj-Mahishashan)

Rs 189.04 Crores has been sanctioned for the Lumding-Badarpur track-length which is about 172 kilometers. The Silchar – Badarpur – Karimganj – Agartala rail route is about 590 kilometers and government has sanctioned Rs 494.24 crore for electrification of that track-length.

Last year the government sanctioned Rs 1432 crore for electrification of a total of 1102 kilometers of track-length. New Bongaigaon-Agthori via Rangiya, New Bongaigaon – Kamakhya via Goalpara, Guwahati to Dibrugarh via Tinsukia and Simaluguri to Dibrugarh and Raninagar Jalpaiguri to Samuktala are the sections where electrification work is already going on.

The N. F. Railway in a press release said, “it is to mentioned that, electrification of railway tracks up to Katihar and between Katihar and Old Malda has been completed and first passenger train on the Katihar _ Old Malda section ran on January 24, 2018. Currently, trains coming and going out of NF Railway change from diesel traction to electric traction at Katihar. Presently work is in progress for electrification up to Guwahati, which is to be completed by January 2020,”

This news is ought to excite Barak Valley and successful completion will come as a big relief for the regular travellers.