New Delhi: Imphal, the capital of the northeastern state of Manipur, is to be brought on the railway map through a 27-km extension approved by the cabinet Thursday.

The existing Jiribam-Imphal Road railway line terminates at Tupul, 53 km from the state capital by road and the proposed new broad gauge line "will be providing rail connectivity up to Imphal as well as make possible direct movement of freight and passengers from this region to other parts of the country," Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said.

He was briefing reporters after a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The updated cost of the project, originally envisaged at Rs.7.27 billion, will be Rs.26.50 billion, the minister said, adding 25 percent of the money would be provided by Indian Railways and 75 percent by the finance ministry.

The railway line was originally proposed to terminate at Tupul "as it was not considered feasible to construct it beyond that point due to unfavourable altitudes and exceeding ruling gradients," Sibal said.

"On the request of the state government, the survey of the line was again done so as to connect Imphal directly by railway line. The alignment of this extended length has to negotiate a hill range having a reduced level of approximately 1,200 metres.

"Construction of the extended line has become feasible by raising the level of Tupul station, providing a 8.11 km long tunnel and changing the ruling gradient to 1 in 60 from Tupul to Imphal," Sibal said.

 

Source : ians