Railway safety test on July 16
SHILLONG: Work for the Dudhnoi-Mendipathar railway project has finally completed and now the railway line is only awaiting its inauguration.
Sources from the NFR on Wednesday informed that the work has been finally completed and now only a Railway Safety test needs to be done on the track before the first railway services is pressed into the line.
Sources informed that the Commission of Railway Safety test test will be tentatively done on July 16.
The project has been delayed much beyond its deadline due to the land acquisition problems in the area.
With the coming of railway, people of Garo Hills can transport their goods at a much cheaper price in the Indian railways after the commissioning of the Dudhnoi-Mendipathar railway project.
The Centre recently approved an additional amount of Rs.400 crore to complete three rail projects in Northeastern region including Dudhnoi-Mendipathar project before March 2014.
The sanctioned cost of the project was Rs 86.22 crore, but the revised cost could touch Rs 144 crore, adding the land required for the project was handed over to the railways long time back.
It may be mentioned that 65.09 hectares of land was handed over to NF Railways for the project in September 2011 for timely completion of the project.
The areas which will be covered by the railway line are Nolbari-Deuripara, Boromiapara, Chotomiapara , Mataranga, Manikganj, Horingkata, Bakenang-Tilapara and Mendipathar.
Once completed, the long-cherished dream of having a rail link connecting Meghalaya with the rest of the country would finally set come true the plans to connect the Khasi Hills with railway has been vehemently opposed by the pressure groups fearing large scale influx of outsiders into the state.
