BADARPUR, Jan 13 � The Broad Gauge (BG) track conversion works at the Lumding-Badarpur hill section to Silchar, and at the Badarpur sector, are progressing on a war footing, and at this stage, the progress has been satisfactory, said the NF Rly Construction Department (NFRC) in a recent press statement.
The NFRC Department also exuded the confidence that seeing the progress of the works, it may be safely predicted that passenger trains would run from April next as the time for the completion of the BG works has been fixed on March 31, 2015. Sources said that 102 locations of broad gauge connection have already been completed. At present, at the Lumding-Badarpur hill section to Silchar, the track connection is going on in full swing. Earth filling of the major portions along this route has also been completed, informed NF Railway sources. Major portions of various works like land acquisition, earth filling, construction of major and minor bridges, road overbridges and road underbridges, station buildings, station platforms, etc., have been completed except some finishing touches.
Sources at the Silchar office of the NF Railway Construction Department told this correspondent that the overall progress of work on the route is quite satisfactory. The construction works of all 17 tunnels in the Lumding-Badarpur hill Section have been completed. Only some problems remain in Tunnel No. 10 and No. 12, which are sought to be resolved by utilising modern machinery and different materials. The work on the railway yard in Silchar and Badarpur has not yet been completed.
In reply to a question from this correspondent, some engineers of the NF Railway Construction Department said that in the BG conversion works, there are some geological problems in the hill section. �But to remove these problems, high-level officials, experts, engineers and employees are trying their level best, applying all sorts of possible steps and by utilising the latest machinery,� they said. The total length of the BG project from Lumding Badarpur hill section to Silchar is 210 km, and the total number of tunnels stands at 17. This national project has a total of 79 major bridges (substructure), and 79 major bridges (super structure), 340 minor bridges, 28 railway stations and four halt stations. Among the 28 railway stations, Lumding, Haflong, Silchar and Badarpur railway stations have been identified as the most important railway stations.
The Badarpur Railway Station building has been constructed with a totally new design. This new station building will be connected with a new road instead of the old Station Road, whose construction is still going on near the Deorail village. This road will be known as the New Station Road of Badarpur, which will be connected with the Badarpur Old Station Road near the Badarpur Hanuman Mandir.
Regarding the setting up of the railway foot overbridge at Badarpur, the department said that the exact location of the foot overbridge or a flyover would be surveyed. After getting the survey report, the authorities will construct the overbridge and if it is done, many shops and buildings will have to be demolished or evicted as per rules and procedure.
It may be stated here that a few days ago, the State BJP vice president as well as ex-MLA of Karimganj, Mission Ranjan Das submitted a memorandum and a map to the Chief Engineer, PK Das, of the Silchar Railway Construction Department regarding the construction of a flyover from the Hanuman Mandir Point to Swahid Bedi, construction of a new station road, postponement of the ongoing construction works of the New Station Road at Badarpur Shyamaprasad Palli. A Railway survey team went to inspect the old approach road for survey recently, but the team could not do its work as the local people and businessmen thwarted their efforts, opposing the construction of a new station road on the old approach road.
There will be three large platforms at the Badarpur Railway Station, where five trains can enter easily. The construction works of two platforms are going on speedily at the Badarpur Railway Junction. A large number of BG signal points have been set up at the Lumding-Badarpur hill section to Silchar.
The NF Railway Construction Department, in a press release, claimed that many milestones have been achieved. Among these are (1) motor trolley inspection from 0 km to 78 km was completed on November 27, 2014; (II) push trolley inspection from 145 km to Badarpur to Silchar was achieved on December 1, 2014; (III) first BG locomotive on the section was run from 0 km to 26 km, on November 6, 2014; (IV) till date about 10 ballasts of rakes from Patharkhola and Pakur have been sent into the section for unloading of ballast in the section. The press release also informed that duomatic machine for packing of track was introduced on and from December 1, 2014, and this machine will improve the geometry of the track making, which is totally fit for passenger and goods operations.
Meanwhile, leaders of different political parties, organisations and the BG Sangram Committee have urged the Government to give stern instructions to various departmental Railway officers and engineers to complete the works efficiently to avoid any sorts of accidents in the area in future.
