The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Sumeet Singhal has authorized operation of trains in the Shokhuvi – Molvom (14.64 Km) newly laid BG line section in Nagaland on 27th & 28th March, 2025. The CRS had completed the statutory inspection of the said section which is a part of the ongoing 82.50 Km long Dimapur – Kohima new rail line project. During the inspection, he was accompanied by Anjani Kumar, Chief Administrative Officer/Con-2 of NFR; Ashutosh Kumar Mishra, Chief Engineer/Con/NFR of Nagaland Project and Vikas Singh, Dy. Chief Engineer/Con/Dimapur/NFR, under whose leadership the sectional works are executed and completed. CRS has approved operations of trains through the newly laid railway line at a maximum speed of 90 KMPH after successful inspection and speed trail in the section. This newly laid line will be helpful for carrying more freight and passenger traffic through this route in the near future.
The 82.50 Km long (2.75 Km in Assam and 79.75 Km in Nagaland) Dimapur – Kohima new railway line project takes off from the Dhansiri station of Assam to Zubza in Kohima, Nagaland. The project has 08 new stations viz Dhansiri, Dhansiripar, Shokhuvi, Molvom, Pherima, Piphema, Menguzuma and Zubza. The project includes 27 major bridges, 149 minor bridges, 05 Road Over Bridges, 15 Road Under Bridges and 20 Tunnels of 31 km length. The 16.5 km section from Dhansiri to Shokhuvi was already commissioned in October, 2021. Passenger train services from Shokhuvi to Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh and Mendipathar in Meghalaya have also been introduced accordingly.
On completion, the 14.64 Km, Shokhuvi – Molvom section will provide enhanced connectivity for the people of the Nagaland with its adjacent states of NE alongwith rest of the nation. This will help grow small scale industries in the area and boost tourism of the state. This project will ensure substantial cost reduction on transportation of man & materials to this hilly state to cater to the needs of the local population, thus reducing the travel time significantly. People of the region will get long distance access across the country and uninterrupted supply of essential goods.
As the railway network in Northeast India is undergoing rapid expansion, the railway connectivity projects undertaken in the region are monumental in scope, and have the potential to completely transform the economic environment in the Northeast. They will provide the infrastructural network which can lead to a paradigm shift in trade and commerce in this region by the year 2030.
