Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that Guwahati railway station is going to be transformed into a next-generation station with all the state-of-the-art facilities. The station has an annual footfall of one crore passengers, with a growth rate of 15-20%. Upgrading the station into a state-of-the-art facility has been a long-felt need to create passengers’ convenience and develop a world-class railway station.
The state government has signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Railways and NRL for the construction of a second entry to Guwahati railway station and the supply of high-speed diesel for Inland Water Terminal vessels. As a part of the MoU with the Railways, the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) signed the agreement for the exchange of land for the construction of a second entry to Guwahati railway station, which is going to be a next-generation railway station.
Sarma mentioned that the railway has also built a dedicated freight station at Agyathuri and another railway bridge over the Brahmaputra parallel to the existing Saraighat bridge. In the last nine years, in the state of Assam, 212 km of meter gauge have been converted into broad gauge while more than 200 km of rail tracks have been made double-tracked.
Under the MoU, ASTC handed over four bighas and four katas of its land to rail while in exchange, the railway has given around 20 bighas of land to ASTC at Jalukbari along NH 31. Guwahati railway connects several places across the state and northeast region, making this upgrade an essential development in improving the area’s transport links.
This project shows the government’s commitment to improving railway infrastructure and will undoubtedly bring significant economic benefits to the region. It will also create many employment opportunities in this sector, which can help reduce unemployment rates. Overall, this project will prove to be a significant achievement for the government to enhance public transport services, reduce congestion, and foster economic growth and development.
