Silchar, Sept. 12: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Union minister of state for railways Rajen Gohain today laid the foundation stone of the double-lining of the Hojai-Lumding broad-gauge section at Hojai railway station.
The 44.92-km stretch is scheduled to be completed in 2018-19 at an estimated cost of Rs 398.93 crore.
Addressing the gathering, Gohain said the completion of the double-line project would ease traffic along the Lumding-Guwahati section.
"There has been an urgent need for crossing points. There are occasions when trains don't reach at the stations on time because of traffic. The problem of punctuality can only be resolved through a double-line track," he said.
The railway minister today said the construction of the double tracks along the Digaru-Hojai and Bongaigaon-Jogighopa-Guwahati sections will begin next month.
The Guwahati-Lumding section was converted to broad-gauge in 1993-94. Since then there has been a considerable increase in the number of passengers and good trains on the section, making it difficult to run the trains efficiently on the single-line section.
Sources in NF Railway said with the conversion of Lumding-Silchar section to broad gauge last year and Badarpur-Agartala section this year, there has been an increase in the number of trains between Lumding and Guwahati. The traffic on the section is going to be increased with the addition of new lines connecting Imphal, Aizawl and Kohima. Double-lining of this section has therefore become inevitable.
The work of double-lining the Lumding-Hojai section was included in the pink book, an official register of the Indian railways, of 2012-13 and the detailed estimate of the work sanctioned in 2015-16 with an estimated cost of Rs 398.93 crore.
Gohain said the track electrification from New Jalpaiguri to Guwahati would also begin next month.
"The estimated cost of the project was Rs 350 crore a few years ago. But because of the delay, the project cost has increased to Rs 650 crore," he added.
The minister said he had a plan to upgrade Hojai railway station to A category from the existing B category.
To highlight the tourism sector of the northeastern states, Gohain said he had held a few meetings with the officials of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in this regard. "A council will be formed with officials of tourism departments of the northeastern states. The council will help the IRCTC develop a tourism network in this region," he added.
He said he would try to bring the Maharaja Express, a luxury tourist train, to the Northeast. "It will cost a huge amount to travel by this luxurious train. But I am trying for some concessions, especially for passengers in the Northeast," he added.
The Hojai-Lumding section has five stations - Dhalpukri, Lanka, Habaipur, Lamshakhang and Patharkhola. NF Railway sources said yard remodelling was involved at each of the stations and new buildings would be constructed at each of these stations, barring Lumding.
Each station will have high-level platforms connected by foot overbridges.
The double-line section will be fit for 110kmph and will be laid with 60kg rails on concrete sleepers.
Tenders for earth work and minor bridges have been awarded for the entire section and other tenders are likely to be finalised in the coming months.
Hojai MLA Shiladitya Deb, Lumding MLA Sibu Misra, Nagaon legislator Rupak Sarma, Raha MLA Dimbeswar Das, Nalbari legislator Ashok Sarma, and higher officials of the NF Railways, among others, were present at the ceremony.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal today urged people of all communities to come forward and work for the growth and development of the state. He stressed on cleanliness and protection of the environment.
"Our government will use available resources in a proper manner for the development of Assam. It's a competitive world. We need to work hard and put all our efforts for the progress of the state as a whole," he added.
