Union cabinet has approved construction of another rail-road bridge over river Brahmaputra near the existing Saraight Bridge in Guwahati to ease railway and road traffic.
The cabinet also approved the doubling of the Agthori-Kamakhaya railway line, including the Saraighat bridge over the Brahmaputra River, as well as the Lumding-Furkating section. This initiative aims to enhance line capacity, streamline train operations, alleviate congestion, and facilitate smoother travel and transportation. The Ministry of Railways has prioritized doubling railway tracks in crucial sections to achieve these objectives.
Sabyasachi De, CPRO of Northeast Frontier Railway, highlighted that the existing Saraighat Bridge, commissioned in 1964, accommodates a single-line railway track on the lower deck and a two-lane road on the upper deck. Currently, the New Bongaigaon-Rangiya-Agthori-Kamakhya section mostly operates on a single line, with ongoing doubling works set for completion soon. To fully realize the benefits of doubling in this section, it’s imperative to double the remaining portion from Agthori to Kamakhya.
The total estimated cost for doubling the BG track from Agthori to Kamakhya, including the second rail-cum-road bridge at Saraighat over the river Brahmaputra, is Rs. 1650.37 crore, with 41% cost sharing by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The new bridge will feature double-line tracks on the lower deck and a three-lane road with footpaths on the upper deck. The project will also include connecting tracks at the north and south ends, enhancing connectivity and creating additional line capacity to accommodate future industrial growth in the region.
Moreover, the Lumding-Furkating section, spanning 140 km, is part of the proposed Lumding-Tinsukia-Dibrugarh 381 km doubling project, with an anticipated cost of Rs. 2333.84 crore. This initiative will directly benefit the local population of Hojai, Karbi-Anglong, Golaghat districts of Assam, and Dimapur of Nagaland, while also boosting railway connectivity to Upper Assam and Nagaland districts.
The doubling of these sections will not only enhance rail transportation capacity but also reduce the cost of goods transportation, fuel consumption, and travel time. This, in turn, will significantly improve the economic scenario of the surrounding areas. These projects will add 179 km of railway lines in Assam and 21 km in Nagaland. Additionally, the Cabinet has approved four more multi-tracking projects with a combined financial outlay of Rs. 12,343 crore, further bolstering railway infrastructure development in the region.
