SILCHAR/AGARTALA, Nov 16 (TIWN):AGM, NF Railway Dayanand Jha said that the passenger services in the newly constructed broad gauge line between Lumding and Silchar is likely to start within 15th December this year. Jha visited Silchar and Badarpur Railway station and had a meet with railway officials along with DRM Lumding Division Niraj Kumar and CEO Ajoy Pandit NFR. Currently goods-trains are running on the new track. Some technical aspects are being checked up and after that the vital railway line would become operational. The 210-kilometer long Lumding-Silchar railway line consists of 21 tunnels (the longest one being 3.23 km long), 79 major bridges and 340 minor bridges, 28 stations and four halt stations. Running of both passenger and goods trains between Badarpur and Agartala section were stopped on September 19. The Lumding-Silchar-Agartala railway line is considered to be the lifeline for Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur.He refused allegation that sub-standard material was used during construction work and said that this is a normal phenomenon and that is why we run goods trains initially in any new line.

This helps in settling down the construction. Regular train services would start any time on the newly-laid broad gauge track from Lumding to Silchar in Assam that would provide better connectivity in the mountainous north-eastern region, particularly state like Tripura.