Indian Railways earmarks INR 11,486 crore for Assam and NE states under Northeast Frontier Railway for 2026-27. Projects in Nagaland and Manipur progress rapidly.
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DIMAPUR — The Indian Railways Budget allocation for 2026–2027 has earmarked a record INR 11,486 crore for Assam and the northeastern states under the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), with projects in Nagaland and Sikkim progressing at a fast rate.
According to a press release, this allocation reflects a fivefold increase compared to 2014 and reaffirms the government’s commitment to faster, safer and future-ready rail connectivity across the region.
It mentioned that a massive infrastructure push is underway in Assam and the Northeast with INR 72,468 crore worth of railway projects currently in progress.
Surveys for new railway lines are being conducted to further expand the network, while rail connectivity to Bhutan from Kokrajhar to Gelephu (69 km) is being planned.
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Railway projects in Manipur have resumed, while works in Sikkim and Nagaland are progressing, significantly improving regional and international connectivity.
It said that one of the most significant infrastructure developments in Assam is the launch of the nation’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper train services on the Kamakhya–Howrah route, connecting Assam and West Bengal, on January 17.
The very next day marked the commencement of Assam’s first Amrit Bharat Express train services—Guwahati (Kamakhya)–Rohtak and Dibrugarh–Lucknow (Gomti Nagar).
Both services were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, further strengthening long-distance rail connectivity between Assam, West Bengal, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Additionally, the Varanasi–Siliguri via Patna bullet train corridor has been proposed, with plans to extend it up to Guwahati in the future, bringing the Northeast onto India’s high-speed rail network.
Railway network expansion and electrification have accelerated across Assam and the Northeast under NFR. Since 2014, about 1900 km of new tracks have been laid, while five North Eastern states are fully electrified and Assam has achieved 98% electrification, with 2,839 km electrified across the region.
Additionally, 502 flyovers and underpasses have been built and the Kavach safety system has been sanctioned for 1197 km, with works in progress on 235 km.
Technology and safety remain key priorities, with the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based camera systems to prevent elephant deaths on railway tracks and the strengthening of Intrusion Detection System (IDS) for smarter operations.