Kohima: Northeast Frontier Railway officials set a 2029 deadline to finish the Dimapur-Kohima rail line. This project finally connects Kohima to the national network. General Manager Ashish Bansal inspected the worksites this week. He walked through tunnels and checked major bridges. Bansal ordered his team to pick up the pace.
The 78.42-km track spans the Karbi Anglong district in Assam, plus Chümoukedima and Kohima districts in Nagaland. The line includes eight stations: Dhansiri, Dhansiripar, Shokhuvi, Molvom, Pherima, Piphema, Menguzuma, and Zubza. Crews already finished work on Dhansiri, Shokhuvi, and Molvom.
Engineers face a tough job. They must dig 20 tunnels stretching over 31,169 metres. They are also building 27 major bridges and 149 minor bridges. Bad terrain complicates everything. Yet, crews work multiple tunnel faces at once to stay on schedule. The Dhansiri to Shokhuvi section opened in October 2021. The Shokhuvi to Molvom section followed in March 2025. Trains now run from Shokhuvi to Guwahati and Naharlagun.
Bansal pushed for quality during his visit. He demanded officials focus on "maintaining the pace of work, ensuring close coordination among all stakeholders and completing the project within the targeted timeframe while upholding the highest standards of safety and quality." The project aims to boost tourism, education, and healthcare throughout the region once finished.
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