Guwahati/Imphal (The Hawk): According to officials, Imphal, the capital of Manipur, would be connected to the Indian Railways network by December 2023, making it the fourth capital city in the northeastern area to have a rail link.
The 110 km Jiribam (near Assam)–Imphal railway line has over 90% of its construction completed, according to Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De. The project, which will cost Rs 14,322 crore, is expected to be finished by December 2023.
According to him, the Jiribam-Imphal railway project will require the building of numerous tunnels and bridges in difficult terrain.
48 of the 52 tunnels have already had their construction done, and of the 11 major bridges, the substructure for seven of them and the superstructure for five of them are complete.
Out of 129 small bridges, 110 have had their construction finished.
De claimed that the 141-meter tallest pier railway bridge in the world is also being built as part of this project and is almost finished. Six of the 11 stations along the project's route have already been constructed.
According to the CPRO, the current 10-hour road trip to Imphal from Jiribam will only take 2.5 hours to complete once the railway project is finished.
After it is finished, the railway project will make it easier for the state to get vital supplies more quickly, as well as for local manufacturers to export goods more quickly.
Guwahati, the capital of Assam, which is close to Dispur, the capital of Tripura, Agartala, and Naharlagun, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh, which is adjacent to Itanagar, have all joined the rail network.
(Inputs from Agencies)