The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has set a target of completing the electrification of the railway track from Lumding to Sabroom in Tripura before August this year, an official said on Wednesday.

Out of a total 265 km of track from Dharmanagar to Sabroom via Agartala, electrification has been completed along 165 km while the remaining 100 km will be finished by August this year, he said.

The electrification work from Lumding to Badarpur (172 km), which is considered a hill section, has also made good progress as 85 per cent work has already been done, Chief Public Relations Officer of NFR Sabyasachi De told media over the phone.

“Overall 65 per cent of the tracks that fall under the NFR have been brought under electrification to boost the railway network in the northeast. In Assam, 55 per cent of the total railway tracks have been covered with ongoing electrification drive,” he said.

Premier trains like Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat could be introduced up to Agartala once the ongoing electrification work is finished from Lumding to Sabroom via Agartala, he said, adding steps have been taken to expedite the electrification project.

Asserting that NFR plans to phase out diesel-run trains gradually, De said running electric trains will be beneficial because it will substantially cut down expenditure on diesel.

“Running electric trains is more profitable compared to diesel engines. The new system will be cost-effective as well as beneficial for the NFR. The carbon emission will also be scaled down once trains start running on electric,” he said.

He said the Centre has sanctioned Rs 260 crore for making Agartala station world-class and Rs 93 crore has been given to convert three railway stations – Dharmanagar, Udaipur and Kumarghat – as Amrit Bharat stations.

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