Junior railway minister Darshana Jardosh said in Manipur on Thursday that the 111km Imphal-Jiribam railway project was 50 per cent complete and a long-coach passenger service till Kongsang would be operational by September. The Union minister of state said the Northeast Frontier Railway had started installing early-warning systems for disasters such as landslides in all trains and stations in the state. Last month, tragedy struck when a massive landslide hit an under-construction railway station at Marangching in Noney district claiming 61 lives, most of them territorial army personnel. “The double-engine government is committed to giving Manipur a world-class railway service,” said the minister. She also said the railway was planning to develop picnic spots and lodging along the railway route to boost tourism as the railway reaches the Northeast state. “The development of such tourist spots will attract tourists as well as filmmakers. The proposed tourist spots may further be upgraded to the level of film locations, as India is one of the highest film-producing countries,” she said. Elaborating on safety measures, railway general manager Anshul Gupta said the railway had mapped all vulnerable areas along the railway route and was installing warning systems. Train drivers, authorities and rest house managers would receive warnings for possible disasters. “Efficiency testing is underway and it will be functional within three months,” he said. Gupta further said the railway had identified bridges and tunnels as tourist spots and that the idea had been shared with Chief Minister N Biren Singh. “The Northeast Frontier Railway will be signing a memorandum of understanding soon with the state government to translate it into action,” he said. Gupta also said a survey for the proposed Moreh-Imphal service was in progress and that the final location assessments would be completed by January 2023. The project is estimated to be completed by 2025-2026. The Imphal-Jiribam line will be extended to the Moreh town on the Indo-Myanmar border and eventually reach the neighbouring country under India’s Act East Policy. The Rs 12,000-crore project was started in 2008.
