The new railway track on Sitamarhi-Runnisaidpur route. Picture by Prakash Kumar

Muzaffarpur, Feb. 2: For the people of Runnisaidpur block of Sitamarhi district, “good news” came through railway tracks.

The Sitamarhi-Runnisaidpur track, which has been one of the dream projects of former Union railway minister Lalu Prasad, has been finally completed.

The work started on the project in 2001 and it was to be completed by 2007.

The total budget of the project was Rs 460 crore.

In a few days, trains would start running on the newly constructed 23km rail route from Sitamarhi to Runnisaidpur.

Yesterday, deputy chief engineer (construction), East Central Railway, Hajipur, S.S. Patel informed the district magistrate of Sitamarhi Dayanidhan Pandey about the completion of the route.

A “trial train” manned by the technical staff of the engineering cell of the railways with necessary gadgets plied throughout the day on the newly constructed tracks.

Hundreds of residents of the adjoining villages of Saidpur, Garha and Dumra areas enjoyed the trial run.

Villagers applauded the first run of a train on the route.

Pandey said he had cautioned the villagers not to cross the railway tracks, as the trial trains would make a whirlwind run to gauge the efficiency of the new tracks.

Policemen have been deployed in adequate number along the 16 unmanned level crossings and four stations as a precautionary measure.

Villagers have been alerted not to cross the tracks and pause for a while before crossing the unmanned gates.

Chief administrative officer (construction), North circle, East Central Railway, Hajipur, Pramod Kumar said the senior railway officials including the chief protection commissioner, is scheduled to make on-the-spot inspection of the newly constructed tracks from Sitamarhi to Runnisaidpur on February 7.

It would then be decided to run passenger and goods trains on the route.

However, the work was in full swing and it has been expedited recently to complete the laying of railway tracks on 12km from Runnisaidpur to Muzaffarpur.

Kumar hoped that the tracks from Muzaffarpur to Runnisaidpur, too, would be completed by the end of this year.