GUWAHATI: Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain along with a team of Northeastern Frontier Railways (NFR) officials headed by the General Manager is in Arunachal Pradesh to review the on-going projects in the bordering state where survey works for proposed railway line projects are expected to be completed by December 2019.
The Union minister met Arunachal Pradesh Chief Miniser , Pema Khandu in Itanagar. The NFR officials informed the CM that survey on eleven new railway lines were under progress while it was completed in case of two other projects.
The lines under survey are Bhalukpong-Tawang, Silapathar-Bame-Aalo, Pasighat-Tezu-Parashuramkund-Rupai, Itakhola-Seijosa, Dumduma-Namsai-Wakro, Dangri-Roing, Deomali-Naharkatia, Lekhapani-Kharsang-Miao-Nampong-New Kamlang-Deban and Tinsukia-Pasighat via Simalguri-Kanubari. Of these the first three railway lines are identified by the National Security Council Secretariat and are being funded by the Defense Ministry.
Surveys for the Margherita-Deomali (31 Km) and Lekhapani-Kharsang (25 Km) railway lines have been completed. The NFR has set December 2019 as the target to complete surveys for rest of the lines.
The officials informed that NFR is taking up the Bhalukpong-Tenga-Tawang railway line on priority due to its strategic importance. The new railway line, once completed, would shorten the travel time to the frontier monastery destination Tawang. The existing road distance from Bhalukpong to Tawang is 285 Kms while the railway line will be only 166 Kms of which 80% section would be in tunnels, the longest being 29.48 Kms. The Railways have also proposed two-lane roads along all the tunnels to be built on the line, which will shorten the road distance drastically.
Khandu appreciated NFR for the rapid progress made in survey of the most difficult railway track in Arunachal Pradesh. Expressing gratitude to Gohain and the Railway Ministry, he asserted that the railway track to Tawang will become the pride of the entire country.
The MoS, Railway, Gohain said once the survey was completed and all formalities cleared, the Tawang line should be ready in 6-7 years. He requested the state government to facilitate land for establishment of a camp office of the NFR in Tawang.
The NFR is also concentrating on connecting Aalo with Silapathar via Bame in the first phase, which was earlier proposed to further connect Daporijo-Ziro in a loop. It has now proposed for standalone connectivity to Ziro and Daporijo in the second phase.