Assam connected with first electric rail service

Assam was connected by electric rail services as an electric-run passenger train reached Kamakhya station in Guwahati for the first time on Friday.

The Delhi-Kamakhya Brahmaputra Mail electric train was run after electrification work from New Coochbehar in West Bengal up to Kamakhya station was completed recently and authorisation was granted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety.

The electrification work has been carried out by Central Organisation for Railway Electrification and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.

"Up till now, the trains with electric locomotives were coming from Katihar in Bihar and Malda in Bengal up to New Coochbehar, where the electric loco was being detached from the train and diesel locomotive was attached for its onward journey towards Assam. Now with the completion of railway electrification works and commissioning of the section up to Kamakhya, these trains will come directly up to Kamakhya without change of traction. As such, there will be direct connectivity from New Delhi to Kamakhya on electric traction without change of locomotive en-route," Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway, Guneet Kaur said in a statement.

She said that the electric train service will have higher speed potential enabling faster trains, saving of time and energy, increasing energy efficiency with a higher power to weight ratio, higher hauling capacity with high horsepower locomotives and providing a pollution-free and cost-effective mode of transport.

Entire Northeast, West Bengal and parts of Bihar falls under Northeast Frontier Railway.

Electrification work for the rest of the Northeast is targeted to be completed by 2023.

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