- Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura
Agartala, January 08, 2022 : The all new passenger train service between Agartala of Tripura and Jiribam of Manipur has been flagged off on Saturday afternoon.
Union Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav through a video conference from New Delhi flagged off this train service.
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh was present at Agartala Railway Station and Imphal, respectively.
While speaking virtually at the flagging off ceremony on Saturday, union minister said that this train will act as a connecting bridge between two states, which are abundantly rich in cultural heritages.
He said, “During my visit to Manipur, Chief Minister N Biren Singh ji explained me about the deep connection of Tripura and Manipur and urged to complete the railway project at the earliest”.
“When I approached to the Prime Minister with this proposal, he immediately asked me to proceed without any kind of delay. The Prime Minister gave me a message saying that the people who were in power during the past 60-70 years never bothered to develop this region. Our job is to find solution not creating problems or excused” said Vaishav.
Regarding the ambitious Agartala-Akhaura railway link, the Vaishnav also spoke to the Tripura’s Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and said that this project will link Northeast India with neighbouring Bangladesh. This project will also cut short the distance of this region with main stream India.
He further told CM Deb “We will sit together and review the matter once again. The state government is extending all kinds of help”.
Claiming this day as a historical one, CM Deb said “This railway link from Agartala to Jiribam shall link up three states of North Eastern region of India. PM Modi’s double engine government’s speed is now being felt by all.”
In this event, Transport ministers of both the states and other officials of Northeast Frontier Railway were present.
The Janshatabdi Express will cover the distance from Agartala to Jiribam in just six hours and will give commercial stops at five stations on the way. The train is having a total of 10 compartments including 2 ACs, 6 non-ACs and 2 general class compartments.
Earlier the CPRO Guneet Kaur said the train will run on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The Janshatabdi Express will leave Agartala in the morning and reach Jiribam at 12 noon.
Similarly, the train will leave Jiribam at 4 pm and reach at 10 pm. She claimed that the passengers would be greatly benefited once the train is operational. She said the train would make commercial stops at Ambasa, Dharmanagar, Karimganj, Badarpur and Arunachal stations between Agartala and Jiribam.
