SHILLONG/GUWAHATI, Feb 6: At a time when railway faces vehement opposition in Khasi Hills over fears of influx, the only railway station of Meghalaya, the Mendipathar Railway Station in Garo Hills under Rangiya division of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), has reached a historic milestone for railway logistics in the Northeastern region, achieving the first-ever unloading of freight rake on Tuesday.
“The rake, comprising 21 wagons of food grains for Food Corporation of India, arrived at Mendipathar station at 9:20 am, and was placed for unloading at 9:40 am, marking the first-ever occasion of goods train unloading in Meghalaya,” NFR informed in a statement issued here on Thursday.
Operational since August 29, 2014, Mendipathar railway station is the first railway station in Meghalaya. It is equipped with four lines, and a spacious goods circulating area for handling freight trains.
The milestone is an important step for the station in its goal to boost the local economy and facilitate the smooth movement of essential commodities in the region.
It also demonstrates the preparedness and availability of ancillary services at the station including trucks, labour and expertise of goods handling.
“Mendipathar railway station promises to emerge as a vital hub for freight movement to Meghalaya, contributing to the state’s development and strengthening the railway network in the Northeast region,” the statement said.
It may be mentioned that currently, Shillong is the only capital in India without a railway line as the state government has failed to convince or rather take steps to convince stakeholders such as pressure groups, civil societies and political parties to come on board to welcome the railway projects.
Recently, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw stopped short of calling off the two railway projects — Tetelia-Byrnihat and Byrnihat-Shillong — for which around Rs 200 crore has been sanctioned.
The minister then put the onus on the state government to convince the stakeholders within a time limit.
After the announcement of Budget on Monday, the Railway minister had announced an allocation of Rs 10,440 crore for the development of railway infrastructure in the Northeast, marking a historic increase in funding for the region. The allocation is more than five times higher than the average allocation of Rs 2,122 crore during the 2009-2014 period, and is expected to support significant projects, including new lines, track renewals, traffic facilities, road safety work, bridge construction, signaling upgrades and improved customer amenities in the region.
Shillong, however, is likely to remain the only state capital in India to be without a railway line, until and unless the state brings its stakeholders onboard.
