The Vande Bharat Express trains would be extended up to Assam’s Silchar and Tripura capital Agartala within the next few months, Rajya Sabha member from Tripura Rajib Bhattacharjee said here on Wednesday.

Bhattacharjee, also the ruling BJP’s Tripura president said that infrastructure is almost ready to operate Vande Bharat Express trains up to Silchar and Agartala and the remaining minor works would be completed very soon

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi always gives priority to the development of North-eastern states. Vande Bharat Express is one of his dream projects,” the Rajya Sabha member told the media after inaugurating an outlet under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana (PM-BJP) in the Agartala railway station.

The Prime Minister on Wednesday dedicated 18 Jan Aushadhi Kendras at various railway stations across the country.

An official of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said that the necessary infrastructural works including electrification were targeted to be completed by December and then running of Vande Bharat Express trains connecting Silchar and Agartala would be possible.

 Prime Minister flagged off Assam’s first Vande Bharat Express on May 29 last year connecting Guwahati with New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal).

 The Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express train journey takes 5 hours, 30 minutes, as compared to the previous fastest train on the same route, which takes about 6 hours, 30 minutes.

 The Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express train operates six days a week.

 According to railway officials, the NFR has achieved 64 per cent electrification of its network.

NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that so far the NF Railway has achieved electrification of 2708.52 RKM (Route Kilometres) which is 64 per cent of the total 4260.52 RKM of the network.

He said that as part of its target of achieving net zero carbon emission and achieving 100 per cent electrification, the NFR is speeding up all the electrification works of un-electrified Broad Gauge routes under its jurisdiction.

In the eight northeastern states, 1524.71 RKM have been electrified so far.

Out of the total electrified routes in northeastern region, 1353.231 RKM in Assam, 2.81 RKM in Manipur, 9.58 RKM in Meghalaya, 6.00 RKM in Nagaland and 151.59 RKM in Tripura have already been electrified, the CPRO said.

The NFR operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.