Tripura's Railway Network to be Fully Electrified by August: Official

Sentinel Digital Desk

Published:15th May, 2024 at 6:48 PM

AGARTALA: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) aims to finish electrifying the railway track from Lumding to Sabroom in Tripura before August this year, according to an official statement on Wednesday.

They have finished electrifying 165 kilometers out of the total 265 kilometers of track from Dharmanagar to Sabroom via Agartala.

The remaining 100 kilometers are expected to be completed by August this year. Additionally, the electrification work from Lumding to Badarpur (172 kilometers) is also progressing.

The Chief PRO mentioned that 65 percent of the tracks under the NFR had been electrified to improve the railway network in the northeast. He also noted that in Assam, 55 percent of the total railway tracks had been covered in the ongoing electrification drive.

Once the electrification work from Lumding to Sabroom via Agartala is completed, premier trains like Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat could be introduced up to Agartala. Steps have been taken to speed up the electrification project, he added.

He further mentioned that running electric trains is more profitable compared to diesel engines. He also stated that the new system would be cost-effective and beneficial for the NFR. He added that once trains start running on electric, carbon emissions will also be scaled down.

The CPRO mentioned that the Centre has allocated Rs 260 crore to upgrade Agartala station to world-class standards. Additionally, Rs 93 crore has been allocated to convert three railway stations - Dharmanagar, Udaipur, and Kumarghat - into Amrit Bharat stations.

Meanwhile, the movement of passengers and transport of goods, including essentials, has been affected in southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur in the first week of May, due to the restricted movement of trains in the region.

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) sources said that the operation of passenger and goods trains has been affected since April 25 owing to heavy landslides, and damage to railway tracks after heavy rains in Assam’s mountainous Dima Hasao district, which is a connecting route to south Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram.