Indian Railways has achieved electrification of two important routes which will allow it to run electric trains in the northeastern state of Meghalaya for the first time. On 15 March both the 22.823 track km Dudhnai-Mendipathar single-line section and the 34.59 track km double-line section between Abhayapuri and Pancharatna were officially opened by the Northeast Frontier Railway.
Taking note of the achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed happiness over the achievement of Indian Railways. “Good news to take connectivity forward in Meghalaya and Northeast,” he tweeted. In addition, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav shared a video of the electric train commencing its journey with the caption, “Electric train for the time being in Meghalaya.”
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Railways said that Mendipathar is currently the only station in the northeastern state of Meghalaya to be open since the Prime Minister’s inauguration in 2014. Trains hauled by electric locomotives will now be able to run directly from Mendipathar in Meghalaya. , improve the average speed.
There is good news for furthering connectivity in Meghalaya and the Northeast. https://t.co/AZjPuBr2UlNarendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 17, 2023
“More passenger and freight trains will be able to operate through these sections at full sectional speed,” the statement said.
Electrification will significantly improve mobility of trains in Northeast India. Apart from the reduction in pollution due to the shift from fossil fuels to electricity, the efficiency of the railway system in the region will also improve, the statement said. It said that this would facilitate seamless traffic and save precious foreign exchange besides saving time of trains to and from the North Eastern States.
with PTI inputs