Naharlagun-Guwahati Shatabdi Express flagged off

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Sunday flagged off the Naharlagun-Guwahati Shatabdi Express and laid the foundation of the Murkongselek-Pasighat broad gauge line in Arunachal Pradesh. Commencement of surveys for seven new lines in the state was also announced by the union minister through video conferencing from the NFR headquarters at Maligaon in Guwahati.

Out of the 26.15 km railway track from Murkongselek in Dhemaji district of Assam to Pasighat in East Siang district of Arunachal, 23.55 km line falls in the state with three railway stations Sille, Rani and Pasighat, railway officials said.

There would be 24 major and 35 minor bridges in the track which was sanctioned last year with an estimated cost of Rs 414.85 crore.

The seven new lines in the state for which reconnaissance engineering cum traffic survey commenced are Lekhapani-Kharsang (25 km), Itakhola-Seijosa (18 km), Doomdooma-Namsai-Wakro (96 km), Dangri-Roing (60 km), Deomali-Naharkatia (20 km), Lekhapani-Miao-Deban (75 km) and Tinsukia-Pasighat via Simaluguri and Kanubari (300 km). Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the new lines would give a fillip to the industrial corridor in the state.Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu said that through railway connectivity, the agri-horti sectors in the state would receive a major boost.