ARPA opposes proposal to close Dibrugarh Town Railway Station, calls it anti-development

Diburgarh, Nov 18: The Assam Rail Passengers' Association (ARPA) has reiterated its demand for retention of the Dibrugarh Town (station code DBRT) Railway Station as it is the oldest existing railway station of Northeast India, and is currently being renovated for rail traffic.

At a recent meeting of ministers, MPs and MLAS with railway officials at Dibrugarh, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal surprised the railway officials by suggesting that the old Dibrugarh station be wound up forever. ARPA general secretary Dipankar Sharma said that the suggestion is "obviously anti-people and anti-development".

Sharma said the old Dibrugarh Town Railway Station has to be properly renovated for augmenting electrified sub-urban train services to Dibrugarh from stations like Simaluguri, Dangori, Ledo, Namrup/Bhojo, Murkongselek, and Biswanath Chariali. He said that introduction of such services will help the growth of Dibrugarh city as Assam's second-biggest urban centre. He said that the suggestion to scrap the old Dibrugarh Town Railway Station was "ill-conceived and totally controversial". He also expressed surprise that the elected political leaders did not have a developmental vision for the State.