Electrification of railway lines across Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is in full swing. This follows the sanction of full electrification across the zone in FY18 budget at a cost of Rs 2542.62 crore.
Sections where funds for electrifications have been provided this year include:
- Katihar-Barsoi-Guwahati section : Rs. 140 cr
- Guwahati-Tinsukia-Dibrugarh & Simaluguri-Dibrugarh : Rs. 228 cr
- New Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Kamakhya : Rs. 87 cr
- Raninagar Jalpaiguri – Samuktala Road(2nd line) : Rs. 13 cr
- Raninagar Jalpaiguri-Haldibari single line : Rs. 30 cr
- Aluabari-Bagdogra-Siliguri Jn : Rs. 69 cr
- Chaparmukh-Silghat Town : Rs. 60 cr
- Katihar-Jogbani : Rs. 100 cr
- Katihar-Teznarayanpur, Barsoi-Radhikapur,
and Eklakhi-Balurghat sections : Rs. 157 cr
The entire mainline of NFR has been segregated into different sections for speedy implementation of work. Sections from Raninagar Jalpaiguri to Sarupeta (259 track kms) are being done by RVNL.
The rest portions are being implemented by CORE (Centre for Railway Electrification. The electrification work up to Guwahati is expected to be completed within this year.
Branch lines
Funds have been allotted for various sections like New Jalpaiguri-New Mal-Alipurduar-Samuktala; New Mal-Changrabandha-New Coochbehar-Bamanhat; Rangiya-Rangapara-Harmuty-Naharlagun; Mariani-Jorhat Town-Furketing; Harmuti-Murkongselek; Lumding-Badarpur-Karimganj-Agartala-Akhaura and other branch lines.
Electrification on NFR reached New Jalpaiguri last year.Some important trains of NFR are running with electric loco from New Jalpaiguri and Katihar.
In addition, trains are also being run on electric traction in Katihar – Kumedpur – Old Malda – Malda Court and New Jalpaiguri – Malda town sections.