Inaugural goods train reaches Manipur's Khongsang

Amid the ongoing violence in Manipur, the first goods train carrying over 700 metric tons of essential items reached the state on Monday.

The train, which was flagged off from Guwahati on Sunday, was received by Chief Minister N Biren Singh at the Khongsang railway station in Noney district.

Singh said the train service would ease the hardship faced by the people of Manipur due to the shortage of essential commodities during the violence. "Manipur, being a landlocked state and frequent disruption by landslides, the operation of trains would definitely bring a change in the development track of the state," Singh said.

Delighted to witness the momentous arrival of the inaugural goods train at Khongsang Railway Station today. This development heralds a plethora of opportunities for the people of Manipur, promising expedited transportation of goods and essential commodities.

The seamless… pic.twitter.com/Exewu7mmJt

— N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) July 24, 2023

Train services in Manipur were available till Jiribam and the project to connect Jiribam with the state capital Imphal was taking a lot of time due to frequent landslides and other reasons.

Home Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to violence-hit state between May 29 and June 1 asked the Railway Ministry to speed up the work for starting train services till Khongsang.

Transportation of essential commodities were severely affected due to blockade on the NH-2 (Dimapur-Imphal) during the violence. NH-37 via Jiribam was used but the transportation cost through that route was higher.

Singh appreciated the Zeliangrong community of Noney and Tamenglong district for their cooperation and support in bringing the railway service.