Nagaland finally got its second railway station after a 100-year wait. The Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, flagged off the Donyi Polo Express from Shokhuvi Railway Station. The train will run daily between Guwahati, Assam, and Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh. The train will also travel till Shokhuvi, which is only a few kilometres from Dimapur.
In addition, with the extensions from Shokhuvi Railway Station to Donyi Polo Express, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh would be directly linked by rail service.
According to media sources, the chief minister has directed railway officials to focus on expanding and extending the Dimapur Railway Station. The main goal of constructing the railway state was to benefit not just the people of Nagaland, but also the neighbouring states of Manipur and Assam.
According to media reports, Anshul Gupta, the General Manager of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), stated that this new channel of collaboration between Indian Railways and NFR will aid in connecting several capital states of the northeastern states. This new railway will also aid in the timely exploration of various sections of the Northeastern states.
The foundation stone for the 90-kilometre-long broad gauge line from Dhanisiri in Assam to Zubza in Nagaland’s Kohima district was placed in 2016, and development is now underway. The original deadline was 2020, however it has now been pushed back to 2024. The line will also be extended to Aizawl through New Kohima and Imphal.
The first railway station was established in Dimapur Railway Station, which was located in the state’s commercial hub and was inaugurated in 1903.
