7 new trains for NE; Rs 5,116 crore for ongoing projects

Railway Minister announced a premium train and an AC weekly express train to be introduced in the current fiscal

It's good news for Northeast in this rail budget as government today proposed seven new trains besides earmarking Rs 5,116 crore for various projects in the region.

Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda announced a premium train -- Kamakhya-Bengaluru Premium Express -- and an AC weekly express train between Naharlagun-New Delhi will be introduced in the current fiscal.

Kamakhya station is within Guwahati city while Naharlagun is 12 km away from Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar.

Two daily intercity express trains -- Guwahati-Naharlagun and Guwahati-Murkongselek--will be introduced during 2014-15, Gowda announced while presenting the railway budget in parliament.

Kamakhya will also be connected with Katra in Jammu and Kashmir with a weekly express train.

Two passenger trains have also been offered for the Northeastern region. They are Guwahati-Mendipathar passenger (daily) and Rangapara North-Rangiya passenger (daily).

The Railway Minister said there are 23 projects underway in the Northeast, of which 11 are national projects. In 2014-15, an outlay of Rs 5,116 crore is earmarked for projects of Northeast and this is 54% jump over allocations in the previous year.

"With higher allocations and by close monitoring of works in this region, I hope that Dudhnoi-Mendipathar new line, Lumding-Badarpur-Silchar gauge conversion, Harmuti- Murkongselek and Balipara-Bhalukpong sections will soon get commissioned. These measures will also give a boost to the state capital connecting projects in the region," he said.