JONAI, Jan 29 � Claiming that the broad gauge (BG) conversion work of the Rangiya-Murkongselek route of the NF Railway has been completed, the railway authority is set to operate passenger train service there from March 15 this year.
NF Railway sources said that the 155-km railway stretch from North Lakhimpur to Murkongselek (Jonai) has been completed and the construction wing of NF Railway is all set to hand over the same to the traffic wing for operation of passenger trains.
Meanwhile, construction engineers of the NF Railway are confident of completing the Bogibeel Bridge over the Brahmaputra in early 2016 as top officials of the Railways have pulled up their socks for early completion of the same. The department has resumed construction of the remaining six pillars of the bridge and is expected to complete the same within the scheduled period.
The bridge, when competed, will provide rail connectivity between Dibrugarh and Tinsukia of Upper Assam with Dhemaji district of North Assam and Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
It may be mentioned here that the Rangiya-Murkongselek railway route came up in 1962 during the Chinese Aggression for transportation and mobilisation of security forces to Arunachal Pradesh. The Rangiya-Murkongselek broad gauge line has been proposed to be extended to Pasighat in Arunachal and further to Roing, Parsuramkund, Rupai, Anjaw and other places along the Indo-China border.
The BG conversion project was one of the two major rail projects in Assam announced by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during 2010.
