Works begin on longest tunnel in Dimapur–Kohima rail project 

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 18, 2024

The construction works in the longest tunnel in the Dimapur-Kohima new rail line project started on Monday, a senior official of Northeast Frontier Railway here said.

The construction started in Portal 1 of Tunnel number 7 of the project, located in Tsiepama village of Medziphema circle of Dimapur district in Nagaland.

The length of this tunnel is 6,610 meters. A 12 km long approach road was constructed through the hills to reach Portal 1 of Tunnel number 7 in Tsiepama village. The tunnel is located between Pherima and Piphema stations of this project.

The 82.50 km long (2.75 km in Assam and 79.75 km in Nagaland) Dimapur-Kohima new railway line project which takes off from the Dhansiri station of Assam to Zubza adjacent to Kohima will be constructed at an anticipated cost of Rs 6,663 crore.

“The project has eight new stations viz Dhansiri, Dhansiripar, Shokhuvi, Molvom, Pherima, Piphema, Menguzuma and Zubza. The project includes 27 major bridges, 148 minor bridges, 5 roads over bridges, 15 road under bridges and 21 tunnels of 31 km length,” the railway official said.

“The 16.5 km section from Dhansiri to Shokhuviwas already commissioned in October 2021. Passenger train services from Shokhuvi to Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh and Mendipathar in Meghalaya have also been introduced,” he said.

“Once completed, the new rail connectivity project will facilitate the transportation of essential commodities such as food grains, petroleum products, automobiles and various infrastructure and construction materials to Nagaland at a significantly reduced cost compared to the present scenario,” he also said.

“This development will greatly benefit the local population, as it is anticipated to provide a substantial boost to the state’s economy and will provide a cheap and reliable means of communication to the local population,” he added.