100% North Bengal Railway Electrification Sanctioned in this Budget

By R. Subrata (TNI Siliguri) | TNI Editing Siliguri

Webdesk, TNI Siliguri, 10^th February, 2018: The days of electric locomotives hauling railway traffic in N.F. Railway is not far as budget 2018 has sanctioned electrification of the entire length of N.F. Railway at an estimated cost of Rs. 2353 crores. With the sanctioning of electrificatio9n of 2536 kms the whole of N.F. Railway track length including all branch lines would now be covered by electric traction. Four railway electrification works for electrification of a total of 1102 kms of railways tracks at an estimated cost of Rs. 1432 crore were sanctioned in last year’s budget. The sections currently being electrified are New Bongaigaon – Agthori via Rangia, New Bongaigaon – Kamakhya via Goalpara, Guwahati to Dibrugarh via Tinsukia and Simaluguri to Dibrugarh and Raninagar Jalpaiguri to Samuktala. It is to be mentioned that, electrification of railway tracks up to Katihar and between Katihar and Old Malda has been completed and first passenger train on the Katihar – Old Malda section ran on 24th January this year. Currently, trains coming to and going out from N.F. Railway change from diesel traction to electric traction at Katihar. Presently, work is in progress for electrification upto Guwahati, which is to be completed by Januar 2020.

The Follow sections that include North Bengal routes are sanctioned in this year’s budget: