Shri Raosaheb Patil Danve, Hon’ble Minister of State of Railways, Coal & Mines on 23rd November, 2021 inspected various project sites of the ongoing Dimapur – Kohima new BG railway line project that will connect the state capital of Nagaland.
- The line starts from Dhansiri station, which is about 18km before Dimapur on the main line in between Lumding and Dimapur.
- The new line will end at Zubza adjacent to Kohima.
- He inspected one station, two tunnels and a bridge along the route.
Doubling works:
Guwahati – Lumding section (180 kms approx) of the Northeast Frontier Railway is vital for railway transportation point of view. This section carries freight and passenger trains for Northeastern states like Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland apart from Upper Assam and South Assam districts.
- Due to increasing numbers of trains, this section, which was earlier a single line BG section, was facing operational constraints.
- To mitigate the problem, doubling of this section was sanctioned and work was started by dividing the section into various portions.
- The Digaru – Hojai section of 102 km length was sanctioned for doubling in the Railway Budget of 2015-16.
- The foundation stone of the project was laid by the then Railway Minister Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 10.11.2016.
- Construction of 11 Major, 73 Minor and 5 Road Over Bridges are involved in this section apart from 36 Lakh Cum of earth work.
- The revised estimated cost of the work is more than Rs. 2,136 crs.
- A total of 50.87 kms were already commissioned during 2020-21 and now by doing comprehensive planning the entire section is likely to be made double line within the Financial Year 2021-22.
- Once the doubling of the entire 102 km long Digaru – Hojai section is completed; the train operational capacity of this section under Lumding division will increase.
- The crossing time of trains can be avoided leading to reduction of journey time. More and more freight trains can be operated for states like Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland apart from Upper Assam and South Assam areas. Economic activities of these areas will also prosper with better connectivity.
Recent Update:
Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has carried out major maintenance and improvement works to enhance safety in train operations. Railway tracks are maintained and inspected on regular intervals to ensure that every section is fit for train operations. Two major components of safe train operations are optimal condition of the rail on which the train runs and the sleepers and ballast cushion on which the rails are laid.
- The rails need to be checked for defects like fracture, wear & tear and corrosion etc. and then replaced periodically.
- Once detected, worn out rails are replaced for safe train operations.
- N. F. Railway is executing Track Renewal work with the help of track laying equipment to improve the track structure and ensure safety of train running.
- Plasser’s Quick Relaying System (PQRS) is a process through which the track including sleeper and rail are laid on the railway formation with the help of machine by replacing old rail and sleepers.
- The PQRS is a semi-mechanized system of track renewal consisting of self propelled cranes capable of moving on an auxiliary track of 3400 mm gauge.
- This system is being used in all the five divisions of N. F. Railway for speedy track replacement works.
- In N. F. Railway, total of 37 Km of track was replaced by using Quick Relaying System in year 2020-21.
- It is planned to lay 110 Km of track through this process in the year 2021-22; out of which 51 Km has already been laid till October 27.
- In New Jalpaiguri – Malda Town section of Katihar division, more than 24 Km of track renewal works have been completed using this system in 2021-22.
- Alipurduar division of N. F. Railway achieved highest track renewal through PQRS of 46 panels (0.524 Km) in 4 hours block time in October, 2021 surpassing earlier achievement of 42 panels.
- The process of laying of track with the help of PQRS system save time required for laying of track and good quality work can be achieved in the least possible time with minimal effect of normal train movement.
- It also facilitates the increased in speed of train running as quality work can be achieved.
Source: Northeast Frontier Railway-Update
