In a bid to boost rail connectivity in the Northeast, Indian Railways is constructing a new broad gauge railway line from Dimapur to Kohima in the state of Nagaland. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone is executing the 82.50 Kilometre long new rail line project at a cost of around Rs 6,648 crore. Last year, the Northeast Frontier Railway said that various technical challenges are being encountered in the construction of this line due to the hilly terrain between Dimapur and Kohima. In a statement, the NFR had also stated that the new rail line project will include eight new railway stations (including Kohima), 166 minor bridges, 24 major bridges, four Road Over Bridges, 18 Road Under Bridges as well as 14 Limited Height Subways. According to the Railway Ministry, the development work on the rail line project is going on in full swing.
According to the Northeast Frontier Railway zone, the new broad gauge railway line from Dimapur to Kohima in Nagaland is expected to be ready by March 2026. Once this broad gauge rail line project is completed, it will build a new mode of connection with the capital of Nagaland to the rest of the nation. The new railway connectivity will also make freight transportation easier, Besides, the rail line will largely help in boosting the economy of Nagaland, the Northeast Frontier Railway said.
Last year on 23 November, the Minister of State of Railways, Raosaheb Patil Danve, inspected various project sites of the ongoing Dimapur – Kohima new broad gauge railway line project in Nagaland. The broad gauge rail line starts from Dhansiri railway station, which is nearly 18 kilometres before Dimapur on the main line between Lumding and Dimapur. The new railway line will end at Zubza, which is adjacent to Kohima. The minister had inspected one railway station, two tunnels as well as a bridge along the route, according to the NFR.
