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Assam rail electrification work begins

Avishek Sengupta

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu addresses the gathering in Guwahati on Saturday. Picture by UB Photos
Guwahati, May 6: Union railway minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu today inaugurated the commencement of electrification work between Raninagar, Jalpaiguri and here.

"An amount of Rs 655.55 crore has been allocated for the project. The project will help Assam connect with the rest of the country through high-speed electric trains. Electrification will also help bring down carbon emission," Prabhu said at the inauguration programme here this evening.

According to the detailed project report, the electrification work on the 687-km stretch will be completed by December 2019.


According to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), the substations will have a traction of 220 to 132kV and 25kV electric lines will be paved along the tracks. Seven traction substations and seven maintenance depots and sheds for electric trains will be set up.

"Electrification from Katihar to Raninagar, Jalpaiguri and Malda to Kumedpur Junction is in an advanced stage. So, electrification between Raninagar and Guwahati is necessary," a NFR source said.

Prabhu also commissioned the construction of a 700KW peak grid at Guwahati station.

"This is one of our moves to save expenses on electricity by switching to solar energy over the next few years. We are also changing all the lights to LED bulbs. This way we can save more than Rs 1,000 crore over the next 10 years," the minister said.

On the work done in the Northeast, Prabhu said Rs 19,000 crore has been spent in the three years of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.A total of Rs 7,600 crore was spent in 2016-17 and Rs 8,100 crore was allocated in the 2017-18 budget. On top of that, projects worth more than 13,000 crore has been approved for the Northeast he said.More than 1,000km of metre-gauge tracks have been converted into broad gauge. By now, we have converted all the tracks in the Northeast into broad gauge

On electrification of railway lines in the country, Prabhu said In India, almost 42 per cent tracks have been electrified. My ministry has decided to double the percentage of coverage by electrification within the next five years. Funds have been allocated and the ministry has involved private players in this project."

Prabhu also inaugurated a reverse-osmosis water treatment plant, a computerised reservation system at New Tinsukia station and a first-class AC waiting hall and a second-class non-AC waiting hall at Harmuti station in Rangia district.

Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary, Union minister of state for railways Rajen Gohain, East Gauhati legislator Siddhartha Bhattacharya and governor Banwarilal Purohit were also present.

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