With electrification of two key routes, Meghalaya to get electric trains

With the electrification of two key routes, the northeastern state of Meghalaya will see the operation of electric trains for the first time, the Railways said in a statement.

The Northeast Frontier Railway has achieved the milestone by commissioning a 22.823 track kilometre single-line stretch of Dudhnai-Mendipathar and 34.59 track kilometre between the Abhayapuri-Pancharatna double-line section on March 15.

In a statement, the Railways said that presently Mendipathar is the only railway station in the north-eastern state of Meghalaya which is in operation since 2014 after being inaugurated by the prime minister.

After the commissioning of electric traction, trains hauled by electric locomotive will now be able to operate directly from Mendipathar in Meghalaya which will increase the average speed.

"More passenger and freight carrying trains will be able to operate through these sections with full sectional speeds. Punctuality will also increase in this section. Parcel and freight carrying trains hauled by electric locomotives from other states will be able to reach Meghalaya directly," the statement said.

Electrification will significantly improve the mobility of trains in northeast India in addition to the reduction in pollution due to the shift from fossil fuel to electricity, the efficiency of the Railway system in the region will also improve, the statement said.

This would facilitate seamless traffic and also save the time of trains moving to and from northeastern states apart from savings in precious foreign exchange, it said.