Imphal: After a three-year hiatus due to ethnic unrest, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) will restore the Agartala–Khongsang Jan Shatabdi Express and local passenger services on the Jiribam–Khongsang line.
Officials confirmed that operations will resume every Friday following successful security reviews and trial runs.
The 348-km journey connects Tripura and Assam with Manipur’s Noney district and typically takes about seven hours and 40 minutes. Before the suspension, the Jan Shatabdi Express operated three days a week—Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The route marks a stepping stone towards the ambitious 111-km Jiribam–Imphal railway line, which is targeted for completion by December 2028.
Currently, the first phase connecting Jiribam and Khongsang (55.36 km) is operational, while construction is underway on the remaining sections.
Once fully commissioned, the mega project, estimated to cost Rs 22,274.57 crore, will establish a direct rail link between Imphal and the rest of India.
The completed line will feature eight new stations, 62 km of tunnels and 11 major bridges, reducing the travel time between Jiribam and Imphal to under two-and-a-half hours.