The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has targeted to complete electrification of more than 50 per cent of the total 6,242 km railway tracks under it by March next year.
This was informed by the chief public relation officer of the NFR, PJ Sharma, on Tuesday.
Stating that railway electrification work in areas under Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has been accelerated during the last two years, Sharma said a total of 534 km of railway tracks have already been electrified.
Also read: Railway electrification in Northeast by March end: NF Railway
“Additional 2,631 km of railway tracks will be electrified by March 2020. The process of electrification of the rest 3,077 km is also progressing a fast pace,” said Sharma.
It may be mentioned that a total of 219 km of railway tracks falling under Katihar Division of NFR were electrified in 2017-18.
“Notable sections commissioned are – Katihar Yard (37.51 km) and Katihar – Kumedpur – Malda Court (181.84 km) sections. Since then, the work had been accelerated and a total of 315 km of railway line has been electrified during the next year (2018-19), which include Malda Court –Singhbad (21.68 km), Katihar – Mukuria & Kumedpur-Mukuria (102.16 km) and Mukuria – Gunjaria (191.38 km) sections,” he said.
“Electrification of 1,085 km of railway tracks including the Raninagar – Jalpaiguri – New Bongaigaon – Rangiya – Guwahati section is targeted to be completed by December 2019,” Sharma said.
Presently, 21 pairs of passenger trains and 14 goods train running on electric traction originate from NFR and go out towards other zones.
This figure is expected to increase as more and more sections get commissioned, said Sharma.
“Once the entire section from Katihar to New Jalpaiguri is electrified (which is expected to be completed by July 2019), the change of engines from electric to diesel will take place at New Jalpaiguri,” the CPRO said.
It is also to be mentioned that work of preparation of detailed project report (DPR) is also in progress for sections where electrification has been sanctioned during 2018- 19.
Notable among these sections are – Rangiya – Rangapara – Harmuti – Naharlagun (339 km), Harmuti – Murkongselek (230 km), Badarpur – Silchar section together with Arunachal – Jiribam and Katakhal –Bhairabi section, Badarpur – Karimganj – Agartala – Sabroom section together with Agartala – Akhaura and Karimganj – Mahishashan section (total 590km) and Mariani – Jorhat Town – Furkating and Tinsukia Jn – Makum Jn – Tirap together with Makum – Dangri section (174 km).