The railway ministry is taking necessary measures to give Agartala station a world-class makeover, equipping it with state-of-the-art facilities, a senior official said on Tuesday.
Consultancy agency Delhi Integrated Multi-modal Transport System (DIMTS) is currently surveying the site, said Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Lumding section, JS Lakra.
The agency is expected to submit its report in the next three to four months, following which work to give the station a facelift will begin in full swing, he said at a press meet at Agartala station.
As of now, work to install an escalator at the station is underway, and it is expected to get completed in the next one-and-a-half months, Lakra said, adding another escalator will be laid at Dharmanagar station in the North Tripura district for passengers’ comfort.
Meanwhile, senior Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) officials arrived here in the morning and took stock of the preparations for President Droupadi Murmu’s visit on Wednesday.
Murmu, during her visit, will flag off an express train that earlier ran between Guwahati and Kolkata and now has been extended up to Agartala – thus connecting the Tripura capital with two other cities. She is also set to inaugurate a trans-shipment yard at Nischintapur among other projects.
Asserting that the NFR is keen on expanding services, Lakra said a requisition for additional rakes has been sent to Delhi through Maligaon, headquarters of the railway zone.
A survey is currently being carried out to find out the feasibility of setting up a double line from Badarpur to Agartala, which is crucial for increasing service frequency, he said, adding that work to electrify Lumding to Guwahati and Lumding to Agartala via Badarpur lines was also going on.
Talking about the Agartala-Akhaura railway (Indo-Bangla) link, Lakra said the ambitious project is expected to be completed in four to five months.
The DRM said the railways will also continue to make efforts to improve freight transport service.
