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Guwahati, Oct 23 (IANS) The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is launching a series of transformative railway development projects to strengthen connectivity, infrastructure and economic development in the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) of Assam. Officials gave this information on Thursday.
Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), NFR, said that this series of initiatives aims to promote regional development, generate employment and integrate the BTAD region more closely with the national rail network as part of the vision of a developed India.
He said that one of the major projects among them is the proposed Wagon Periodic Overhauling (POH) workshop at Basbari in Kokrajhar district. Recently, NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Srivastava inspected the proposed site along with senior officials and representatives of Bodoland Territorial Council.
The modern facility, to be developed over approximately 2,500 bighas for Rs 256.35 crore (Phase I), will initially handle 75 wagons per month, increasing to 250 wagons per month in later phases. Strategically located near Basbari Station and Rupsi Airport, the workshop will serve as a major logistics hub, enhancing the wagon maintenance capacity of NFR as well as creating large-scale employment and skill development opportunities for the local youth.
Additionally, NFR is leading the Kokrajhar-Gelephu New Railway Line Project, a 69 km long India-Bhutan cross border connectivity initiative, which has been declared a special railway project by the Government of India, the CPRO said.
The line, with an estimated cost of Rs 4,033 crore, will connect Kokrajhar in Assam with Gelephu in Bhutan, opening new avenues for trade, tourism and regional cooperation under the Neighborhood First and Act East policies, he said.
The project will significantly benefit the BTAD region, making Kokrajhar a major gateway for India-Bhutan rail and logistics operations.
Sharma said that under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), NFR has also taken up modern works at important BTAD stations including Kokrajhar, Gossaigaon Hat, Fakiragram, Udovar, Tangland Majbat.
These works include redevelopment of station buildings, improved passenger amenities, improved circulation areas and modern façade design to provide world-class amenities to passengers.
BTAD stations are now better connected than ever. Important trains like Vande Bharat Express and Rajdhani Express regularly stop at Kokrajhar station, ensuring fast, comfortable and premium connectivity to major cities across the country for travelers from the Bodoland region.
Additionally, several new stoppages of express and passenger trains have been introduced at major BTAD stations, including Gossaigaon Hat, Fakiragram, Basugaon, Bijni, Tangla, Udalguri and Majbat, significantly improving travel convenience for local passengers and increasing rail accessibility.
The NFR official said that with the rapid progress in electrification, doubling and modernization of infrastructure, NFR reaffirms its commitment towards advancing the socio-economic transformation of the BTAD region of Assam through safe, sustainable and inclusive railway development.
–IANS
SC/And