Guwahati: The Rs 14,322 crore Jiribam-Imphal railway line, a crucial connectivity project for the Northeast, is expected to be completed by next December, an official said on Friday. The project has already achieved physical progress of 91.78 percent, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesperson Sabyasachi De said in a statement. When complete, the line will connect Manipur's capital Imphal to the country's railway network, he said.
The 110-km line that passes through tough terrains and has multiple tunnels and bridges. Of the 52 tunnels, work for 48 has already been completed, De said. The project will have total 11 major bridges. The substructure of seven bridges and the superstructure of five bridges have been completed, he added. Of the 129 minor bridges, work for 110 has also been completed, he said.
The tallest pier railway bridge in the world with a height of 141 m is also nearing completion, the official said. There will be 11 railway stations on the route, and six of those are already complete, he said. After completion, the journey of 10 hours by road will be reduced to 2.5 hours by railways, De said.
"The project will provide enhanced connectivity to the people of Manipur and help grow small-scale industries in the area and boost the tourism of the state. It will also help in receiving essential commodities faster and help the local producers to export their produces faster," the statement said.
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