The capital of seven North-Eastern states will be connected by rail by 2011 following an ambitious railway extension project that is currently under way. A. K. Sonwalka, General Manager (Open Lines), North East Frontier Railways, disclosed this by saying that the survey regarding this mega venture has already been completed.

The project covers the Silchar-Jiribam stretch in the Cachar-Manipur sector, Bhairavi-Sairong in Mizoram and the 109 km Manu-Agartala in Tripura. However, the NFR is confronted with some land acquisition bottlenecks in Nagaland and arunachal while local organization is putting up its opposition to extension of railways to Meghalaya. However, Mr. Sonwalka is confident that these problems will be sorted out soon.

There are 15 big bridges and 170 small bridges as also three tunnels in the Agartala part. However, 75 per cent of the work is complete and inauguration is expected by December 2007. The present metre gauge being constructed has provisions for upgradation to broad gauge. In Assam, the conversion in to broad gauge will be completed by 2009. After this, broad gauge conversion work will be taken up in Tripura.

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