Dimapur, Oct. 14 (EMN): In what will enhance connectivity in the Northeast region, President of India, Droupadi Murmu, on Friday flagged off the first direct passenger train service between Nagaland and Meghalaya.
The services of Guwahati-Lumding- Guwahati Express will now be extended up to Shokhuvi railway station in Nagaland at one end and up to Mendipathar in Meghalaya on the other, updated the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on Friday.
The President also laid the foundation stone of the proposed ‘Modern Cargo cum Coaching Terminal’ at Agthori station virtually from Guwahati in the presence of Nagaland and Assam Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister of State in Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameswar Teli and other state ministers.
Speaking on the occasion, Murmu thanks Union Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for the sincere effort in augmenting rail connectivity in the Northeast region.
The Mendipathar-Guwahati passenger special -- train no. 05607 -- will depart from Mendipathar every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30 pm and reach Guwahati at 4:40 pm on the same day.
The same train (no. 05605) will depart from Guwahati at 5 pm on the same day and reach Shokhuvi at 11:55 pm on the same day, it was informed.
In return direction, the Shokhuvi-Guwahati passenger special will depart from Shokhuvi (train no. 05606) every Wednesday and Friday at 5:30 am and reach Guwahati at 11:10 am on the same day. The same train (no. 05608) will depart from Guwahati at 12:45 pm every Wednesday and Monday and reach Mendipathar at 4:50 pm on the same day.
It went on to added that the existing train no. 05601 (Guwahati-Lumding) passenger special will depart from Guwahati at 5 pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and reach Lumding at 9:40 pm on the same day. In return direction, train no. 05602 (Lumding-Guwahati) will depart from Lumding at 7 am every Saturday, Sunday and Monday and reach Guwahati at 11:10 am on the same day.
“This is the first direct passenger train service connecting Meghalaya and Nagaland. It will boost the interstate connectivity in the region fulfilling long pending demand of the people of both the states. Mendipathar is the only railway station in Meghalaya having passenger train operations.
“Shokhuvi is the 2nd railway station in Nagaland to get train connectivity after a gap of more than 100 years. It may be mentioned here that, the first direct passenger train connecting Nagaland with Arunachal Pradesh was started on 26th August, 2022 by N.F. Railway. This extended service of Guwahati-Lumding upto Shokhuvi will be second passenger train connecting Shokhuvi in Nagaland,” read the update.
It stated that the Modern Cargo cum Coaching Terminal, when completed, will “facilitate the traders with regular supply of perishable and white goods for NE region”.
“This terminal will have world class standards facilities and infrastructures. The terminal will have parcel office, labour rest room, circulating area and space enough for inward and outward movement of trucks. It will also act as a mediator for transportation of goods coming from different parts of the country to the entire seven sister states with new Gati and Shakti,” it stated.