STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam Rail Passengers Association (ARPA) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to intervene for the early review and Cabinet approval of two long-pending railway projects in Assam that were sanctioned in the Railway Budget 2017-18.
In a letter submitted to the Centre, ARPA sought approval for the 62-km Sibsagar (Sivasagar) Town–Jorhat Town broad-gauge line and the 99-km Salona–Khumtai broad-gauge line, describing them as strategically important for strengthening rail connectivity in Upper Assam.
ARPA general secretary Dipankar Sharma said that the recent flood-induced disruption of railway services in Sivasagar district, caused by damage to railway tracks, has highlighted the urgent need for an alternative all-weather rail corridor between Guwahati and Dibrugarh. The two proposed lines would provide a shorter and more reliable route, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity during floods and other emergencies.
Sharma stated that once completed, the projects would create the shortest rail corridor linking Dibrugarh, Moranhat, Sivasagar and Jorhat with Guwahati and the new alignment would significantly reduce travel time and transportation costs, benefit lakhs of passengers, boost economic activity in Upper Assam and strengthen strategic connectivity in the Northeast.
The letter also noted that the existing railway route via Lumding is frequently affected by floods and track washouts, forcing trains to take longer routes. It said commissioning of the two new lines could pave the way for faster services, including the possibility of operating Vande Bharat Express trains between Dibrugarh and Guwahati in around six hours.
Highlighting the status of the projects, ARPA said the Final Location Surveys (FLS) for both lines had been completed and the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) had reached an advanced stage. However, the Sibsagar–Jorhat project was reportedly put on hold following a Railway Board decision in October 2022 on economic grounds, while the Salona–Khumtai project remains stalled at the pre-sanction stage.
The association appealed to the Prime Minister and the Railway Minister to review the 2022 decision, complete the remaining formalities, place both projects before the Union Cabinet for approval and allocate adequate funds to begin construction at the earliest.
ARPA expressed hope that the Centre would take an early decision on the long-pending railway projects.
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