Imphal broad gauge rail reaches Manipur from Arunachal

The first broad gauge passenger train from Arunachal Pradesh to Manipur arrived on Thursday afternoon at the Jiribam railway station.

The train carrying mostly railway officials left the station at 4 p.m.

"Efforts are being made to connect Jiribam with other important stations in the country and it will be of great help to the people of the region," said an official.

Over ten days ago, one goods broad gauge train transporting Food Corporation of India items reached Jiribam from Silchar.

There will be no shortage of food grains now that there will be regular train service, the official told IANS.

The NH37 which connects Jiribam with Imphal was in a bad shape. Now the Manipur government has banned trucks from carrying goods more than 28 tonnes on the ground that the bridge over Barak river was shaky.

Officials told IANS that Manipur was in a position to store food grains in warehouses in Imphal to last several months.