According to its vision document, the government plans to connect all state capitals of the Northeast, except Sikkim, by 2020.
For Sikkim, a new line network has been sanctioned up to Rangpo in the first phase.
The capitals of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura have been connected by broad gauge rail network, a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) statement said.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the first broad gauge train was flagged off from Naharlagun to New Delhi. The long-pending work on the Bogibeel Bridge spanning the Brahmaputra was completed in 2018, leading to further reduction of travel distance from Dibrugarh to Naharlagun by 705km (via Guwahati). The first broad gauge passenger train (long-distance) from Agartala to Delhi was introduced in July 2016.
Work on the new broad gauge lines have been taken up to connect the remaining capitals of the northeastern states — Meghalaya (Shillong), Manipur (Imphal), Nagaland (Kohima) and Mizoram (Aizawl).
The project of broad gauge line connectivity from Jiribam to Imphal in Manipur was sanctioned in 2003-04. Target date for completion is three years after the complete handover of land to the railways.
The project of broad gauge line connectivity from Bhairabi to Sairang (suburban city of Aizawl) in Mizoram was sanctioned in 2008-09. Target date for completion of project is two years after land is handed over to railways.
The project of broad gauge line connectivity from Dimapur (Dhansiri) to Zubza (Kohima) in Nagaland was sanctioned in 2006-07. Target date for completion of project is three years after land is handed over to the railways.
Two projects of broad gauge line have been taken up for capital connectivity of Meghalaya.
New broad gauge line from Tetelia to Byrnihat in Meghalaya was sanctioned in 2006-07. Some organisations are stating that railway connectivity may lead to influx of outsiders and this has led to some local resistance to this project. The issue has been taken up for early resolution. The target date for completion has not been fixed yet.
A new broad gauge line from Byrnihat to Shillong was sanctioned in 2010-11, but the target date for completion has not been fixed yet.