In yet another milestone for the development of connectivity in Tripura, the work of railway electrification from Badarpur to Sabroom is underway and is expected to be completed by March 2024.

This information was shared during a meeting in between Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha and North East Frontier Railway General Manager Chetan Kumar Srivastava at Secretariat in Agartala on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the General Manager of NFR invited Dr. Saha to inaugurate the Lokmanya Tilak-Kamakhya Express train service from Agartala to Mumbai, which is scheduled to commence on October 15. Additionally, a new DEMU train from Agartala to Sabroom and a newly constructed escalator at Agartala railway station will also be inaugurated.

Various issues, including the development of railway infrastructure in the state, were discussed during the meeting.

Mr  Srivastava, the General Manager of North Eastern Frontier Railway, informed the Chief Minister that the Kanchenjunga Express train will be extended to Sabroom by November. He mentioned that the work of railway electrification from Badarpur to Sabroom is in progress and is expected to be completed by March 2024.

During the meeting, Dr Saha advised Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath to establish power substations at Udaipur and Teliamura railway stations and expedite the power transmission line work.

The General Manager of North East Frontier Railway stated that Rs 235 crore will be allocated to upgrade the Agartala railway station to an international standard.

The Chief Minister discussed the Agartala-Guwahati Intercity Express, which currently operates once a week, and requested NFR officials to take necessary steps to increase the frequency of this train service.

The progress of the Agartala-Akhaura railway construction was also reviewed, and in this regard, the Chief Minister directed the railway authorities to expedite the construction of Nischintapur railway station.

"Due to the sincere efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the railway communication system of the state has improved tremendously. Currently, there are 12 express trains and 5 local trains operating from the state. The introduction of the Agartala-Mumbai Lokmanya Tilak-Kamakhya Express will increase the number of express trains to 13, and the number of local trains will rise to 7," stated Dr Saha.

Transport Department Secretary Uttam Kumar Chakma and Additional Secretary Subrata Chowdhury were also present at the meeting.