Electric trains to link Guwahati with other railway zones by the end of 2019

GUWAHATI: By the end of this year, trains are expected to run on electric traction from Guwahati to other railway zones.
According to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), electrification of 1085 km of railway tracks, including the Raninagar - Jalpaiguri - New Bongaigaon - Rangiya - Guwahati section, is targeted to be completed by December, 2019.
NFR chief PRO PJ Sharma, in a statement, stated that railway electrification work in NFR has been accelerated during the last two years and it is expected that by March next year, more than 50% of the total 6,242 kilometre of the railway tracks under NFR will be electrified."A total of 534 km of railway lines have already been electrified and an additional 2,631 km will be electrified by March, 2020. The process of electrification of the rest 3077 km is also progressing at a fast pace," he stated.
A total of 219 km of railway tracks falling under the Katihar division of NF Railway was electrified in 2017-18. Since then, work has been accelerated and a total of 315 km of railway line has been electrified during the next year (2018-19), which includes Malda Court -Singhbad (21.68 km), Katihar-Mukuria, Kumedpur-Mukuria (102.16 km) and Mukuria - Gunjaria (191.38 km) sections.
"At present, 21 pairs of passenger trains and 14 goods train are running on electric traction originating from NFR and go out towards other zones. This figure is expected to increase as more and more sections get commissioned. 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 (NJP), " he added.
The work of preparation of detailed project report is also in progress for sections where electrification has been sanctioned during 2018-19, which include Rangiya-Rangapara- Harmuti-Naharlagun (339 km) section, Harmuti-Murkongselek (230 km) section and 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).