First Freight Train Reaches Manipur, PM Modi Says Will Enhance State's Commerce

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the first freight train reaching Manipur will enhance the state’s commerce and connectivity as goods from their will reach all parts of the country.

Days after a passenger train from Assam’s Silchar reached the Bongaichungpao railway station in Manipur, a freight train reached the Rani Gaidinliu station on Thursday. Notably, the state will go into polls to be held in two phases on February 27 and March 3.

PM Modi tweeted, “Transformation of the Northeast continues. Manipur's connectivity will be enhanced and commerce will be boosted. Wonderful products from the state can travel all over the nation”, while tagging Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region, G Kishan Reddy’s post.

Sharing a video of the freight train arriving at the station, the Union minister wrote on Twitter, “Historic day for Manipur and entire North East, after 75 years of India's Independence, first goods train reaches Rani Gaidinliu Railway Station, Tamenglong in Manipur. The Narendra Modi government is committed to enhancing infrastructure connectivity and economic prosperity in the NER (northeast region)”.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had done an aerial survey of the Jiribam-Imphal new line project in Manipur earlier in the month.

The project will connect Imphal to Guwahati and will also include the country’s longest train tunnel. He said that ₹ 7,000 crore has been allocated this year for ongoing railway projects in the northeast.

Vaishnaw tweeted, “As committed”, while sharing pictures of the freight train on Saturday. He also tagged a January 5 tweet of his which said, “Goods train will start rolling by end of this month up to Kaimai Road railway station.”

As committed. #ManipurRailConnectivity https://t.co/Y9XTyDT9Bp pic.twitter.com/DpK4ipNMe6

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 29, 2022

Chief Minister of Manipur N Biren Singh also took to Twitter on Friday to say, “In yet another milestone, the first ever goods train reached Rani Gaidinliu Railway Station, Tamenglong yesterday. The improvement in railway connectivity, under the close supervision of Hon' PM Sh @narendramodi ji, will immensely improve the socio-economic condition of Manipur”.