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While the present newly-constructed broad gauge line runs about 50 per cent along the old metre gauge alignment, the 210-km track has 79 major bridges, 340 minor bridges and 21 tunnels.
Territorial Army personnel stand by as the first Silchar-Lumding-Guwahati passenger train arrives at New Harangajao railway station in militancy-infested Dima Hasao district in Assam on Saturday. (Source: Express)
The new broad gauge railway track connecting Silchar in southern Assam to Lumding in central Assam was finally thrown open for passenger traffic on Saturday with union railway minister Suresh Prabhu flagging off the first Silchar-Lumding-Guwahati Fast Passenger train through remote control from New Delhi.
With this passenger traffic to southern Assam as well as onward movement to Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura became easier, while work for broad gauge conversion on the Badarpur-Agartala section is in progress. Earlier, goods train movement on the Lumding-Silchar section had started in April this year.
The Lumding-Badarpur portion of the newly-opened line has a historic backdrop in that being not only constructed as a metre gauge track in the last part of the 19th century to move tea, coal and timber from upper Assam to Chittagong port, but also considered as an engineering marvel because of the difficult terrain across the Barail mountains. The new broad gauge track is also described as a formidable engineering challenge because of the typical unstable geology of the region.
While the present newly-constructed broad gauge line runs about 50 per cent along the old metre gauge alignment, the 210-km track has 79 major bridges, 340 minor bridges and 21 tunnels. The longest tunnel is 3.235km, while the tallest bridge over the river Doyang is 54 metres tall. There are a total of 33 stations in the Silchar–Lumding section.
Lifeline for southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur, the foundation stone of the broad gauge track was laid way back in 1996 by the then prime minister HD Deve Gowda. Declared a National Project by the prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2004 in view of its strategic importance, work on the Lumding-Silchar suffered heavily with militant groups kidnapping, attacking and killing railway staff, contractor workers and security personnel between 2000 and 2011.
Though paramilitary forces were initially tasked to provide security to the broad gauge project that passes through the trouble-torn Dima Hasao district, the government in 2009 deployed the Territorial Army to ensure security to the national project.
Assam: New Lumding-Silchar BG track opened for passenger traffic | The Indian Express
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The Flag Off Of The New Train Was Done Through Remote Control From Delhi By Organizing A Video Conferencing Between Rail Bhawan, New Delhi And Silchar Railway Station In Assam
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affaires and SportsShri Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha Attended the Programme At Silchar Railway Station End.
The Move Fulfils The Long Cherished Demand Of The People Of Barak Valley In South Assam To Have A Seamless Connectivity With Rest Of The Nation
This Line Leads To Opening Of New Vistas In Connection To The Hitherto Isolated States Of Tripura, Mizoram And Manipur
The Union Minister of Railways,Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, flagged off theFirst BG Fast Passenger Train from Silchar to Guwahati via Lumding, Haflongthrough Remote Control by organizing a Video-Conferencing between Rail Bhawan, New Delhi andSilchar Railway Station. The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affaires and SportsShri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of State for RailwaysShri Manoj Sinhawas specially present on the occasion atSilchar end. At New Delhi end, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Karimganj, Assam Shri Radheshyam Biswas, Member Engineering Railway Board Shri V. K. Gupta, Member Traffic Railway Board Shri Kundan Sinha were among those present on the occasion. Connection of Silchar by BG railway line would not only benefit the people of Barak Valley, but would lead to opening of new vistas in connection to the hitherto isolated states of Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu said that it is an historic moment that people of South Assam are getting an important railway connectivity with rest of the Nation. Today we are introducing a new train between Guwahati and Silchar after conversion of Lumding-Silchar Metre Gauge line into Broad Gauge. Goods trains are already running in this section since March, 2015. More passenger trains will be introduced in near future. This will fulfill the long cherished demand of the people of Barak Valley to have a seamless connectivity.
Shri Suresh Prabhu said that Indian Railway is committed to improve its infrastructure in North-Easter region and pointed out that all the eight sisters of this region are dear to the heart of the people in the country. Rail connectivity to North Eastern States has been made a mission item by the new government, as we provided an all time high budget allotment of Rs.5200 crores to the projects in this region in 2014-15 which is over 50% more than 2013-14. This tempo has been maintained in 2015-16 also by providing Rs. 5300 crores.
Shri Suresh Prabhu said that we are working expeditiously to connect all Capitals of North Eastern States with railway connectivity. Earlier this year Itanagar, the State Capital of Arunachal Pradesh was provided connectivity with the National Capital through a direct train. Also the entire North Bank of Brahmaputra has been brought on Broad Gauge with the commissioning of entire Rangiya-Rangapara-North Lakhimpur – Murkongselek (510 km) Gauge Conversion Project. Mega Block for conversion of Badarpur-Kumarghat-Agartala section has been taken with effect from 01.10.2015. The Railway Minister pointed out that the work is progressing as per target and Agartala, the Capital of Tripura is all set to be on Broad Gauge by March, 2016. Along with this, the Gauge Conversion of Kathakal-Bhairabi (Mizoram) and Arunachal (Station) – Jiribam (Manipur) sections will also be completed and these two States i.e Manipur and Mizoram will also come on Broad Gauge map of the country. Shri Suresh Prabhu said that Railways have been commissioning about 133 km Broad Gauge track every year in the North Eastern region in last 4-5 years. In 2014-15, a record was made when about 450 km of lines were commissioned. This year again, we are all set to achieve a new record of commissioning of about 550 kilometres of Broad Gauge lines in this region.
Referring to the excellent relations between India and Bangladesh Shri Suresh Prabhu said that Indian Railways will also work for better connectivity with Bangladesh.
Shri Suresh Prabhu said that the development of infrastructure will also help youth in a big way as they will get better opportunities for skill development etc. The better railway connectivity will also provide better marketing facilities. Railways have been playing a major role in serving the infrastructural needs of the Northeast and will continue to contribute to the socio-economical development of this region.
He congratulated all Railway personnel for completing this project successfully despite many problems.
BACKGROUND BREIF ABOUT THE PROJECT : -
The 210km Lumding-Silchar GC project was sanctioned in the year 1996-97 at an initial cost of Rs.648 crores. Declared as a National Project in 2004, the project connects the Barak Valley of Assam by broad gauge track fulfilling a longstanding demand of the people of this area.
Commencement of passenger train service from Silchar to Lumding marks the completion of Phase-I of this project.
The track passes through the verdant North Cachar hills almost parallel to the old Metre Gauge alignment crisscrossing the MG alignment at many locations in the first 100 kms between Lumding and Migrendisa. Thereafter, the proposed BG alignment detours for 30 km before joining the MG alignment again near Ditockchera.
The mega block for the phase-I i.e., Lumding-Silchar section (210 km) was taken from 01.10.2014 for 6 months. The formation works and track linking works were completed and engine rolling upto New Haflong (100 Km) was done on 12.01.2015 and subsequently upto Silchar on 13.03.2015. The first goods train was flagged off by Hon’ble Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 27.3.2015. Thereafter, more than 155 goods train have plied in the section.
Phase-2 of the total project consists of gauge conversion of Badarpur-Kumarghat (118 km) and finger lines Arunachal-Jiribam (50 Km), Baraigram-Dullabcherra (29 km) & Karimganj-Mahishasan including Karimganj bye pass line (13.50 km). This phase will be completed by 31.03.2016 for which mega block has already been taken from 01.10.2015 for six months. The current estimated cost of the entire project is around Rs.6000 cores.
Connection of Silchar by BG railway line would not only benefit the people of Barak Valley, but would lead to opening of new vistas in connection to the hitherto isolated states of Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur.
****
AKS/MN/DK
Suresh Prabhu Flags Off First Passenger Carrying Train Between Silchar – Guwahati Through The Newly Constructed Broad Gauge Section Lumbding –Silchar in Assam
The new broad gauge railway track connecting Silchar in southern Assam to Lumding in central Assam was finally thrown open for passenger traffic on Saturday with union railway minister Suresh Prabhu flagging off the first Silchar-Lumding-Guwahati Fast Passenger train through remote control from New Delhi.
With this passenger traffic to southern Assam as well as onward movement to Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura became easier, while work for broad gauge conversion on the Badarpur-Agartala section is in progress. Earlier, goods train movement on the Lumding-Silchar section had started in April this year.
The Lumding-Badarpur portion of the newly-opened line has a historic backdrop in that being not only constructed as a metre gauge track in the last part of the 19th century to move tea, coal and timber from upper Assam to Chittagong port, but also considered as an engineering marvel because of the difficult terrain across the Barail mountains. The new broad gauge track is also described as a formidable engineering challenge because of the typical unstable geology of the region.
While the present newly-constructed broad gauge line runs about 50 per cent along the old metre gauge alignment, the 210-km track has 79 major bridges, 340 minor bridges and 21 tunnels. The longest tunnel is 3.235km, while the tallest bridge over the river Doyang is 54 metres tall. There are a total of 33 stations in the Silchar–Lumding section.
Lifeline for southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur, the foundation stone of the broad gauge track was laid way back in 1996 by the then prime minister HD Deve Gowda. Declared a National Project by the prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2004 in view of its strategic importance, work on the Lumding-Silchar suffered heavily with militant groups kidnapping, attacking and killing railway staff, contractor workers and security personnel between 2000 and 2011.
Though paramilitary forces were initially tasked to provide security to the broad gauge project that passes through the trouble-torn Dima Hasao district, the government in 2009 deployed the Territorial Army to ensure security to the national project.
Assam: New Lumding-Silchar BG track opened for passenger traffic | The Indian Express
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Railways
21-November-2015 12:19 IST
Suresh Prabhu Flags Off First Passenger Carrying Train Between Silchar – Guwahati Through The Newly Constructed Broad Gauge Section Lumbding –Silchar in Assam Government of India
Ministry of Railways
21-November-2015 12:19 IST
The Flag Off Of The New Train Was Done Through Remote Control From Delhi By Organizing A Video Conferencing Between Rail Bhawan, New Delhi And Silchar Railway Station In Assam
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affaires and SportsShri Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha Attended the Programme At Silchar Railway Station End.
The Move Fulfils The Long Cherished Demand Of The People Of Barak Valley In South Assam To Have A Seamless Connectivity With Rest Of The Nation
This Line Leads To Opening Of New Vistas In Connection To The Hitherto Isolated States Of Tripura, Mizoram And Manipur
The Union Minister of Railways,Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, flagged off theFirst BG Fast Passenger Train from Silchar to Guwahati via Lumding, Haflongthrough Remote Control by organizing a Video-Conferencing between Rail Bhawan, New Delhi andSilchar Railway Station. The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affaires and SportsShri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of State for RailwaysShri Manoj Sinhawas specially present on the occasion atSilchar end. At New Delhi end, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Karimganj, Assam Shri Radheshyam Biswas, Member Engineering Railway Board Shri V. K. Gupta, Member Traffic Railway Board Shri Kundan Sinha were among those present on the occasion. Connection of Silchar by BG railway line would not only benefit the people of Barak Valley, but would lead to opening of new vistas in connection to the hitherto isolated states of Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu said that it is an historic moment that people of South Assam are getting an important railway connectivity with rest of the Nation. Today we are introducing a new train between Guwahati and Silchar after conversion of Lumding-Silchar Metre Gauge line into Broad Gauge. Goods trains are already running in this section since March, 2015. More passenger trains will be introduced in near future. This will fulfill the long cherished demand of the people of Barak Valley to have a seamless connectivity.
Shri Suresh Prabhu said that Indian Railway is committed to improve its infrastructure in North-Easter region and pointed out that all the eight sisters of this region are dear to the heart of the people in the country. Rail connectivity to North Eastern States has been made a mission item by the new government, as we provided an all time high budget allotment of Rs.5200 crores to the projects in this region in 2014-15 which is over 50% more than 2013-14. This tempo has been maintained in 2015-16 also by providing Rs. 5300 crores.
Shri Suresh Prabhu said that we are working expeditiously to connect all Capitals of North Eastern States with railway connectivity. Earlier this year Itanagar, the State Capital of Arunachal Pradesh was provided connectivity with the National Capital through a direct train. Also the entire North Bank of Brahmaputra has been brought on Broad Gauge with the commissioning of entire Rangiya-Rangapara-North Lakhimpur – Murkongselek (510 km) Gauge Conversion Project. Mega Block for conversion of Badarpur-Kumarghat-Agartala section has been taken with effect from 01.10.2015. The Railway Minister pointed out that the work is progressing as per target and Agartala, the Capital of Tripura is all set to be on Broad Gauge by March, 2016. Along with this, the Gauge Conversion of Kathakal-Bhairabi (Mizoram) and Arunachal (Station) – Jiribam (Manipur) sections will also be completed and these two States i.e Manipur and Mizoram will also come on Broad Gauge map of the country. Shri Suresh Prabhu said that Railways have been commissioning about 133 km Broad Gauge track every year in the North Eastern region in last 4-5 years. In 2014-15, a record was made when about 450 km of lines were commissioned. This year again, we are all set to achieve a new record of commissioning of about 550 kilometres of Broad Gauge lines in this region.
Referring to the excellent relations between India and Bangladesh Shri Suresh Prabhu said that Indian Railways will also work for better connectivity with Bangladesh.
Shri Suresh Prabhu said that the development of infrastructure will also help youth in a big way as they will get better opportunities for skill development etc. The better railway connectivity will also provide better marketing facilities. Railways have been playing a major role in serving the infrastructural needs of the Northeast and will continue to contribute to the socio-economical development of this region.
He congratulated all Railway personnel for completing this project successfully despite many problems.
BACKGROUND BREIF ABOUT THE PROJECT : -
The 210km Lumding-Silchar GC project was sanctioned in the year 1996-97 at an initial cost of Rs.648 crores. Declared as a National Project in 2004, the project connects the Barak Valley of Assam by broad gauge track fulfilling a longstanding demand of the people of this area.
Commencement of passenger train service from Silchar to Lumding marks the completion of Phase-I of this project.
The track passes through the verdant North Cachar hills almost parallel to the old Metre Gauge alignment crisscrossing the MG alignment at many locations in the first 100 kms between Lumding and Migrendisa. Thereafter, the proposed BG alignment detours for 30 km before joining the MG alignment again near Ditockchera.
The mega block for the phase-I i.e., Lumding-Silchar section (210 km) was taken from 01.10.2014 for 6 months. The formation works and track linking works were completed and engine rolling upto New Haflong (100 Km) was done on 12.01.2015 and subsequently upto Silchar on 13.03.2015. The first goods train was flagged off by Hon’ble Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 27.3.2015. Thereafter, more than 155 goods train have plied in the section.
Phase-2 of the total project consists of gauge conversion of Badarpur-Kumarghat (118 km) and finger lines Arunachal-Jiribam (50 Km), Baraigram-Dullabcherra (29 km) & Karimganj-Mahishasan including Karimganj bye pass line (13.50 km). This phase will be completed by 31.03.2016 for which mega block has already been taken from 01.10.2015 for six months. The current estimated cost of the entire project is around Rs.6000 cores.
Connection of Silchar by BG railway line would not only benefit the people of Barak Valley, but would lead to opening of new vistas in connection to the hitherto isolated states of Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur.
****
AKS/MN/DK
Suresh Prabhu Flags Off First Passenger Carrying Train Between Silchar – Guwahati Through The Newly Constructed Broad Gauge Section Lumbding –Silchar in Assam