The world's tallest pier railway bridge that is being constructed in Manipur as part of the Jiribam-Imphal project is nearing its completion. The railway bridge will have a height of 141 meters upon completion.
Work on the Jiribam-Imphal railway project, one of the crucial connectivity projects for the Northeastern region, is also going on in full swing to connect Manipur's capital city Imphal with the rest of the country. The Rs 14,322 crore project is already 93.30 per cent complete, officials said.
The Jiribam-Imphal railway project involves multiple tunnels and bridges in tough terrains, stretching over 111 kilometres in length. The total length of the tunnels in this project will be 61.32 kilometre, out of which 59.11 km tunneling work has already been completed.
The project will have a total of 11 major bridges and 137 minor bridges. Work on five major bridges and 101 minor bridges have been completed so far.
The section from Jiribam to Khongsang has already been commissioned for train service.
After completion of the project, the journey to Imphal from Jiribam, which takes 10 hours by road, will be reduced to 2.5 hours by train.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NF Railway) is working round the clock to complete the project amid challenges like heavy rainfall and other logistical hindrances.
The new rail project will provide enhanced connectivity for the people of Manipur and help the growth of small scale industries in the area and boost tourism of the state. It will also help in receiving essential commodities faster in comparison to road transport and help the state’s local producers export their produce outside the state faster.
It is also likely to end the problems the state has been facing for decades due to numerous “economic blockades” called by various organisations along both the national highways.
The overall economy of the state is certain to get a boost with the completion of the new rail line.