NFR to invest Rs 95,261 crore to link NE state capitals

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has decided to invest Rs 95,261 crore in 21 projects, including connecting the state capitals of three Northeastern states — Manipur, Mizoram, and Meghalaya — by 2023 and Nagaland's capital Kohima by 2026.

Assam’s main city of Guwahati (adjoining capital Dispur), Tripura capital Agartala, and Arunachal Pradesh’s Naharlagun (adjacent to capital city Itanagar) are already connected with the railway network.

Sabyasachi De, NF Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer, said on Friday that funding worth Rs 51,787 crore have already been given with the goal of connecting the other state capitals and increasing line capacity in the region.

In the last eight years, the northeastern region's average annual fund allocation has increased by 254 percent over the yearly average fund allocation from 2009 to 2014.

“While the work for laying new broad gauge railway tracks are underway to connect the Imphal and Aizawl, the work of laying new lines to connect Shillong would not face much hurdles as there are no big mountains in between Guwahati and Shillong,” De said.

He said the government has put all its efforts to improve the rail connectivity in the Northeast.

“The northeastern region of the country has received a significant infrastructure boost in the railway sector in the last eight years (2014-2022). Between 2014 and 2022, a total of 893.82 km of track have been converted to broad gauge, 386.84 km new lines added, 356.41 km double lines commissioned and survey of 1,578 km new lines were completed,” he added.

According to the CPRO, a total investment of Rs 95,261.65 crore is expected in the region to complete 21 projects, including the connection of the region's remaining state capitals.

These continuing projects have created a great number of jobs in the region, allowing locals to work and have revolutionised the region's socioeconomic landscape.