Nagaland: Another Dimapur-Kohima railway tunnel completed

DIMAPUR — In another major step towards completion of the Dimapur-Kohima new broad gauge line, a breakthrough of Tunnel No. 1, approximately 4 km long, at Chümoukedima village, was achieved on October 18.

 “A significant breakthrough was achieved in Tunnel No. 1 of 4km long, a part of the Dhansiri-Zubza New Rail Line, Kohima connectivity project. Upon completion, the project promises to provide all-weather connectivity to the people of Nagaland,” the Ministry of Railways stated on its official X account.

With the completion of drilling work of Tunnel No. 1, approximately 4 km in length at Chümoukedima village, ABCI Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. has, to date, completed Tunnel No. 1, Tunnel No. 1-A measuring about 140m at Chümoukedima village, Tunnel No. 2 measuring about 180m, and Tunnel No. 3 measuring about 866m at New Chümoukedima.

The breakthrough of the first tunnel, named ‘Tunnel No. 1-A,’ was completed on June 7, 2019.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) also informed that a breakthrough of Tunnel No. 15 between Menguzuma and Zubza station, measuring about 160m in length, in the third phase of the project was completed on June 15, 2023.

The NFR had on October 10, 2023, posted on X that works had started in portal 1 of Tunnel No. 6 in Phase III of the Dhansiri-Kohima new line project to connect the state capital of Nagaland. The 4.5 km-long tunnel is between the proposed stations of Pherima and Piphema, and is being provided with an escape tunnel.

It may be mentioned that the 82.50 km-long Dimapur-Kohima new railway line project, from the Dhansiri station of Assam to Zubza adjacent to Kohima, is being undertaken by the Northeast Frontier Railway Construction Organisation at an anticipated cost of INR 6,663 crore.

The total length of the project is 82.5 km (2.75 km in Assam and 79.75 km in Nagaland) having 8 new stations viz. Dhansiri, Dhansiripar, Shokhuvi, Molvom, Pherima, Piphema, Menguzuma, and Zubza.

The project includes 24 major bridges, 156 minor bridges, six road over bridges, 15 road under bridges, and 21 tunnels of 31 km length.

Tunnel No. 7 between Pherima to Piphema, with a length of 6520m, is the longest tunnel under this project.

Divided into three phases for ease of commissioning, the first phase of the project — 16.5 km from Dhansiri to Shokhuvi — was completed in October 2021.

Passenger train services from Shokhuvi to Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh and Mendipathar in Meghalaya were introduced recently, to enhance intra-regional rail connectivity to various northeast states.

The next phase from Shokhuvi to Pherima is likely to be completed very soon, and the entire project up to Zubza is targeted to be completed by 2026, according to sources.

The new rail connectivity project, once completed, will also help in the transportation of food grains, automobiles, and other infrastructural and construction items to the hilly state at a much cheaper cost, benefiting local people. It is expected that the economy of the state will receive a major boost.

Also read: NFR completes tunnel no. 15 between Dimapur–Kohima