Surveys for several railway projects in Tripura including the second Indo-Bangla railway link through the Belonia sub-division of the South Tripura district have been completed by the officials.
Tripura Transport Minister Pranajit Singha Roy informed the State Assembly that Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is expected to visit the state on March 25 to inspect the ongoing projects.
Some new projects may also be launched by the minister during his visit to the North-East state. Roy was addressing the house on Calling Attention motion moved by treasury bench Chief Whip MLA Kalyani Roy on ”The need to further improve the overall management of passenger and freight traffic, including increasing the number of passenger trains through the introduction of double lane rail services in the state of Tripura”.
Replying to the query, the Transport Minister said that on June 4, 2020, the Tripura government sent a proposal to ‘North East Region Vision 2035’ to transform the existing single line tracks into double lines to enhance railway connection as well as improve the number of passenger and freight engines.
With regards to new projects in the pipeline, he said that survey works of three new railway projects that consist of 30 kilometres long Belonia (India) – Feni (Bangladesh), Dharmanagar (North district) – Pancharathal (North district), and Kailashahar (Unakoti district) Railway has been completed.
Another project is underway to link Dharmanagar in North Tripura with Belonia in the South district connecting Unakoti, Dhalai, Khowai, and certain parts of the West Tripura district.
“The survey work for these projects have been completed and Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on January 21, 2022, made a special request to the Union Railway Minister to incorporate the following projects in the Railway Budget and provide necessary financial assistance”, the transport minister told the house.
Apart from that, construction works for Nischintapur Railway Yard which will connect Tripura with Akhaura in Bangladesh are on the verge of completion. “About 98 percent of the work is completed and 75 percent of work for Sabroom Railway Yard has also been complete”, he said.
According to the ministers, all these ambitious projects are expected to be completed by the next financial year.
“The construction of 12.30 kilometres long Agartala-Akhaura in Bangladesh railway link that aims to increase passenger and freight engine movement between these two locations will be completed shortly. The DoNER ministry and Ministry of External Affairs of the Central Government have been extending all sorts of help for speedy completion of the project.”