Guwahati, Nov 21: The Union Minister of Railways, Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, flagged off the First Broad Gauge Fast Passenger Train from Silchar to Guwahati via Lumding, Haflong through Remote Control by organizing a Video-Conferencing between Rail Bhawan, New Delhi and Silchar Railway Station.
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affaires and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha was specially present on the occasion at Silchar . Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Karimganj, Assam Shri Radheshyam Biswas, Member Engineering Railway Board Shri V. K. Gupta, Member Traffic Railway Board Shri Kundan Sinha were among present in Rail Bhawan Delhi. Connection of Silchar by BG railway line would not only benefit the people of Barak Valley, but would lead to opening of new vistas in connection to the hitherto isolated states of Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu said that it is an historic moment that people of South Assam are getting an important railway connectivity with rest of the Nation. Today we are introducing a new train between Guwahati and Silchar after conversion of Lumding-Silchar Metre Gauge line into Broad Gauge. Goods trains are already running in this section since March, 2015. More passenger trains will be introduced in near future. This will fulfill the long cherished demand of the people of Barak Valley to have a seamless connectivity.
Notably, the 210 km Lumding-Silchar GC project was sanctioned in the year 1996-97 at an initial cost of Rs.648 crores. Declared as a National Project in 2004, the project connects the Barak Valley of Assam by broad gauge track fulfilling a longstanding demand of the people of this area.
