AGARTALA, Oct 2 (TIWN): General Manager (Construction), Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) R.K.Gupta in a visit to the state on Friday inspected the work progress of BG conversion at Nishchintpur BOP Indo-Bangla border area. The NFR team arrived here in the state at 10.45 in the morning in flight AI 743. However, General Manager (Construction), Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) R.K.Gupta in his visit was accompanied by A.S.Garud Chief Administrative officer, Ajit Pandit NFR CAO Malingaon, Harpal Singh Chief Engineer, Rabindra Ram Chief Engineer and PB Sivaram Prasad CAO NFR. It is to be mentioned here that the NFR team in a visit to the Nishchintpur BOP Indo-Bangla border area inspected the area to see the progress in the proposed rail connectivity between Agartala and Gangasagar (Bangladesh). The Indian Railway Construction Company Ltd (IRCON) and the NFR have jointly initiated the fixing of alignment for the proposed Agartala-Gangasagar rail link. The team is also scheduled to visit the railway construction work from Agartala to Badarpur railway track. It is worthy to be mention that Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu would pay a one-day visit to Tripura in the second week of October to lay the foundation stone for conversion of railway tracks from meter gauge to broad gauge.Transport Minister Manik Dey, who met the Railways Minister in Delhi to discuss the progress of different railway projects of the state on September 23, said the Union Minister had accepted his invitation to visit the state in second week of October.

A total of 17 teams have been working on the conversion work at 43 locations from Karimganj to Kumarghat and the BG work is supposed to be completed upto Agartala by March 31, 2016. Chief Engineer of NFR Harpal Singh, who met Transport Minister Manik Dey informed that BG conversion work is in full swing and expected to get over within the stipulated time frame. Currently, BG conversion work is going on a track measuring 17 km and gradually it would be extended upto Agartala.

However, the BG conversion work from Badarpur to Agartala would be taken up in two phases.

During the first phase the BG conversion work would start from Badarpur to Kumarghat stretching about 118 km, whereas the second phase work would start from Kumarghat to Agartala stretching about 109 km, official said.  

A total of 227 km of meter gauge would be converted into broad gauge from Badarour to Agartala.

The source also said that the entire BG conversion work upto Agartala is expected to be completed by March 31, 2016.

It is to be mentioned here that the train service is already suspended from October 1 until the conversion is ended. The service will remain suspended during the construction work and laying BG tracks replacing the meter gauge.

However, once the BG conversion work is ended successfully, people can travel to any other parts of the country from Agartala. Besides, Agartala station is all set to receive a bee storming gathering of passengers following which another entry point would be constructed here in Agartala.