Correspondent
BONGAIGAON, Feb 18: Railway Vikash Nigam Limited (RVNL) had successfully conducted a trial run of an electric rail engine from Bongaigaon railway station to Sorupeta station today.
The engine named broad gauge alternative current goods traffic 9th generation locomotive (WAG-9 H) having traction motor manufactured by Japanese company Hitachi, had completed 65 kilometres journey from Bongaigaon to Sorupeta in 44 minutes, said RVNL Chief Project Manager Gautam Roy.
The engine will reach Rangiya and Guwahati in the next phase as its trial run and after the inspection by the Chief Commissioner of Railway (Safety), it will run from Bongaigaon to Guwahati directly from February 26, Roy said and hoped that the engine will carry coaches with passengers between Bongaigaon and Guwahati from the next month.
“The engine will definitely reduce the consumption of diesel, pollution and journey time compared to the diesel-run engine,” Roy said.
According to Roy the project of electric train between Bongaigaon and Guwahati took three years to complete and very soon it will connect Guwahati with stations outside the State and passengers of the State will enjoy comfortable rail journey with short
travel time.
Loco Pilot Meghnath Brahma and Assistant Loco Pilot Subhradip Paul set their journey from Bongaigaon station to Sorupeta for the trial run of the engine today at 2:36 pm. The engine reached Sorupeta at 3:07 pm without any technical and mechanical problem, Roy confirmed.
Officials from Railway department, RVNL and union leaders were present during its inauguration today at Bongaigaon station. A brief ritual was performed before the engine started its trial run for Sorupeta.
