ProMASS News Bureau: Jan 13, 2016
New dawn cast in the horizon of Tripura on Wednesday afternoon as the 1st Broad Gauge trial train entered Agartala Station. Amidst spontaneous applaud from enthusiastic crowd, Manoj Sinha, MoS for Railways received the train at 2.30PM on Jan 13, 2016. Well decorated BG train Engine with six bogies slowly rolled into Agartala Station marking an end of age-long isolation from the mainland.
In a programme organized to mark the arrival of 1st BG Trial Train, Manoj Sinha hailed the efforts of Railway Engineers for completing the BG Conversion Project in a timely manner despite huge geographical and climatic adversities. He said that declaration of the Agartala new line project as a National project by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a turning point as the declaration was made adequate fund flow available and subsequently made the implementation of project possible. He categorically stated that boosting of rail connectivity in the Northeast was an area of topmost concern for Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the government remains committed to connection of all state capitals of Northeast by BG railway network within 2020. He also informed the Government is now focused on increasing investment in railways. This , he said, was indicated by the decision to invest as much as Rs. 8 lakh 50 thousand crores within next five years which is much more than previously done.
Talking about other rail projects in the State Sinha said, the section up to Sabroom would be connected by BG track by March 2017. Commenting on the Agartala- Akhoura link project, he said that despite of burgeoning costs to be accrued for Land acquisition, the government is going ahead with the project which will be instrumental in further strengthening of India’s ties with Bangladesh. He remarked that Agartala railway station is being commissioned with best passenger amenities like washable apron on every platform line, washing pit line, DEMU shed for train maintenance, first of its kind automatic coach watering facility and waste water recycling facility.
In today’s remarkable programme, along with MoS for Railways, PWD Minister of Tripura Govt. Badal Chudhury, Transport Minister Manik De, MP from Tripura West Shankar Prasad Dutta also witnessed the emergence of a new era in rail connectivity in Tripura. The General Manager NF Railway H K Jaggi, Chief Administrative Officer A Garud, and other senior officers were present in the said programme.
In their speeches, Manik Dey and Badal Choudhury, thanked the Railways for having fulfilling the aspirations of the local people and assured of their full cooperation for smooth progress of other ongoing projects. They said the expansion of railway network would be a boon for the resource rich state and its people who could strive for development to bring the state at par with the other states. Bangladesh connectivity would also open up lo of possibilities for local trade and commerce and shorten movement to West Bengal from Tripura. On behalf of the state Government one memorandum was presented to the minister by Ministers of State Govt, citing various demands for further development of railways in the state.
H K Jaggi appreciated the hard work put in by railway engineers in fulfilling the dream of the people of Tripura. He said that other projects would also be commissioned within stipulated time.
