STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Rail Meet 2025 held in Guwahati under Assam Rail Passenger Association (ARPA) on Sunday adopted 23 comprehensive resolutions aimed at accelerating railway development and connectivity across the eight Northeastern states under the North Eastern Council (NEC).
The meeting proposed the formation of a composite Zonal Railway encompassing all eight NEC states by integrating areas from the Alipurduar Division (West Bengal portion) and Katihar Division with nearby zones such as the Eastern and East Central Railways.
It further recommended restructuring of the existing Rangiya, Lumding, and Tinsukia divisions to ensure balanced growth across the region, along with the creation of a new division at Badarpur for better coverage of southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur.
While speaking to The Sentinel, ARPA general secretary Dipankar Sharma said that major resolutions were adopted in the meeting that follows Cabinet approval for pending railway lines, construction of a new rail-cum-road bridge at Saraighat, establishment of new passenger and suburban terminals, and the introduction of Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) and Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) services to boost local connectivity.
The resolutions further called for restoring pre-COVID train services, reintroducing concessions, and improving passenger amenities across stations. Participants urged the naming of new trains after Assamese cultural icons and emphasized the importance of enhanced coordination between the Railway Ministry and the state government.
Sharma stated that the all twenty-three resolutions were unanimously adopted and will be submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Railway Ministry, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), and the Government of Assam for approval. Delegates present stated that these initiatives would mark a significant step towards modernizing and expanding the region’s railway infrastructure.
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