Agartala, July 23: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is all set to launch the broad-gauge passenger train service from Agartala to other parts of the country across Assam.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the broad-gauge train service between Delhi and Agartala from the national capital on July 31 while Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu and Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar will flag off the train at Agartala railway station, says PTI.

Suresh Prabhu will also lay the foundation for the 15km Agartala-Akhaura railway track on the same day. The service would connect the Northeast with Bangladesh.

Transport commissioner Samarjit Bhowmik said the new Agartala-Delhi broad-gauge train is likely to be named "Tripures#wari super fast express", though the matter of naming was yet to be finalised. "The final decision will be announced by Mohammed Jamshed, member of railway board (traffic) by Tuesday," said Bhowmik.

He also said Prabhu would stay for three days in the Northeast to inaugurate various railway services. "He will be in Imphal on July 30, in Agartala on July 31 and on August 1 in Kohima in connection with the inauguration of various railway services in the Northeast.

Apart from this, the NFR has taken a special initiative to rush essential commodities, including fuel, to Agartala, in view of the severe crisis and high prices faced by the people because of the collapse of road traffic through the Assam-Agartala National Highway 44. Two goods trains carrying essential items arrived last night at Jirania railway station near Agartala and are being unloaded," Bhowmik added.

The broad-gauge passenger train service to and from Agartala was originally scheduled to begin from March this year but heavy landslides in the hilly section of the railway route, between Lumding and Silchar, stood in the way. Finally engineers from Austria and Germany arrived early last month on the invitation of the railway authorities and the line was set right by changing the alignment.

"Now everything is ready and the service will begin. #Similarly, work on the 15km Agartala-Akhaura railway line was pending and now that land acquisition on both sides is over the railway minister will lay the foundation stone of the railway connectivity. This track is being financed by the Centre at the cost of Rs 252 crores," said Bhowmik.#