Railway Ministry inaugurates landmark Silchar-Lumding broad gauge rail line in Assam

Union Railways Ministry has inaugurated the landmark Silchar-Lumding broad gauge rail line in Assam.
It was inaugurated by Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu by flagging off a passenger train from New Delhi via video-conference.
Key facts

• Silchar-Lumding broad gauge rail line brings Assam’s underdeveloped but strategically important Barak Valley on the broad gauge map.
• The broad gauge line is also a milestone for connectivity in the northeast region and one of the largest gauge conversion projects of Indian Railways.
• The line has 75 major bridges and 340 minor bridges along the track. It passes through 21 tunnels. The entire project cost was around 3, 500 crore rupees.
• It would play an important role in accelerating development in Barak Valley of Assam and other Northeastern states like Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram as it would act as lifeline.

Background
The Lumding-Silchar Gauge Conversion Project was sanctioned by Government of India in 1996-97 under the Northeast Frontier Railway. The strategic project was declared as a National Project in 2004. The project was hit by insurgency from 2006 to 2009 but later the Territorial Army was deployed to take on the insurgents.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2015