Gohain inaugurates double line between Hojai & Habaipur

Union Minister Rajen Gohain Thursday dedicated the newly constructed double line section between Hojai and Habaipur in Assam and also inaugurated newly constructed station buildings at Hojai, Lanka, Dhalphukhuri and Habaipur.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of State for Railways said work on double line of the Digaru to Hojai and from Habaipur to Lumding section is going on in full swing and would be completed by the end of March 2020.

An amount of Rs 28,905 crore has been allocated since 2014 for construction of projects which is about twice the fund of Rs 12,660 crore allocated during 2009 to 2014, the minister said.

He also said that apart from commissioning of Bogibeel bridge, six new line projects, three gauge conversion projects and as many doubling projects totalling 1,299 km of track has been commissioned in the northeast since 2014.

Stating that three new lines and four doubling projects worth Rs 16,312 crore have been sanctioned since 2014, Gohain said 43 projects totalling Rs 98,000 crore are under progress, of which 25 are new lines.

Eleven of these are national projects and three of them have so far been completed, he said, adding, 40 new train services have been introduced in northeast region since May 2014.

N-F Railway spokesman Pranav Jyoti Sharma said the 20 km long newly-constructed broad gauge double line between Hojai and Habaipur is part of the HojaiLumding doubling project which was sanctioned in 2012-13.

Stating the revised cost of the entire project is approximately Rs 615 crore, Sarma said the new line has the potential to run passenger traffic at 100 kmph and that the line will help in removing traffic congestion on the section and improve punctuality of trains on the crucial Guwahati