Agartala, Aug 28 (TIWN) The northeastern part of the country has always been a challenge to the Indian Railway. While incurring extra costs, the railways have had to deal with unique challenges in laying tracks in the mountainous northeastern region due to its topography, soil formation and natural disadvantages, a top railway official has said.

According to Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS-Northeast Circle) Shailesh Kumar Pathak, the landscape, soil conditions and other natural challenges have forced the railways to invest more money and to confront diverse challenges in the Northeast region, comprising eight mountainous states.  "Compared to the other regions of the country and in the mainland states, the expenditure and the challenges are more in the hilly Northeastern region," Pathak told after examining the newly-laid railway tracks in Tripura.  The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), one among the 17 railway zones in India, is responsible for extending the railway lines and maintaining train services in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts in north Bihar, besides the eight Northeastern states, including Sikkim.