New Delhi, Oct 11 (FN Agency) Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) successfully completed the electrification of the line from Katihar to Guwahati, the NFR said in a statement on Monday. The stretch comprises a total of 649 Route Kilometer (RKM) / 1294 Tonne Kilometer (TKM) of High-Density Network (HDN). “This great feat will now connect all major cities of the country with Guwahati on seamless Electric Traction,” the Railways Ministry said in a statement. The final leg of HDN on NF Railway of 107 RKM/273 TKM was successfully inspected by the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) NF circle from October 7 to October 9, 2021.
The ministry said with the completion of electrification of the line up to Guwahati will lead to the saving of about Rs 300 Crore per annum of foreign exchange which is spent on HSD Oil. “HSD Oil consumption will be reduced by about 3400 KL per month,” it further said. It said that the running time between Guwahati to Katihar / Malda Town is likely to be reduced by up to 2 hours as trains can now move at higher-speed due to better acceleration/ deceleration. “Due to seamless train operation, traction change at New Jalpaiguri, New Coochbehar will now be done away with, enhancing the mobility of the trains,” the ministry said. The Ministry said Rajdhani Express trains can now be introduced for the NE states like Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim. “Electrification will lead to better maintenance as faster trains will give more time for maintenance blocks,” it said.