Bogibeel bridge to be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on December 25: With the inauguration of Indian Railways’ longest rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra river, the Northeast Frontier zone is looking to introduce two new Intercity Express train services. These will link Tinsukia and Naharlagun via the new Bogibeel bridge. While one of the Intercity Express trains will run five days in a week, the other one will run on weekly basis. With the commencement of the new train services, the people of Arunachal Pradesh and on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river will be benefitted greatly. The special inaugural train number 05907 will only run on 25 December 2018, that is the day of the inauguration of the 4.94 km long Bogibeel bridge. The train will start from Dibrugarh at 11:30 AM and will reach Naharlagun at 6:45 PM. The regular services will start from 26 December 2018 onwards as per the details given below:
The train number 15908 will leave Naharlagun at 5:30 AM on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and will arrive in Tinsukia at 11:00 AM. In the return direction, train number 15907 will leave Tinsukia at 4:00 PM on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and will arrive in Naharlagun at 9:15 PM. On the other hand, the another Intercity express, train no 15912 will leave Naharlagun at 5:30 PM on every Thursday and will reach Tinsukia at 11:00 AM and train number 15911 will leave Tinsukia at 6:45 PM on Thursday and will reach Naharlagun at 12:10 AM on Friday.
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En route, the Intercity Express trains will halt at New Tinsukia, Dhamalgaon, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, North Lakhimpur, Gogamukh and Harmuti railway stations in both directions. The train is being provided with one air-conditioned chair car and nine second class day coaches with sitting accommodation other than two luggage cum generator car.
The Bogibeel bridge in Assam will serve to be a huge connectivity boost to the North-East, especially for the movement of troops and weapons in areas close to the China border. While on the lower deck there are two broad gauge lines, on the upper deck it is a 3-lane road bridge. Given the multiple challenges involves in making a bridge over river Brahmaputra, Bogibeel bridge is no less than an engineering marvel.