GUWAHATI The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has swiftly responded to the law and order situation and the scarcity of essential items in Manipur by initiating urgent measures to transport crucial commodities and food supplies to the affected state, according to officials in this statement released on Tuesday, July 18.

Sabyasachi De, the Chief Public Relations Officer of NFR, informed that the Khongsang Railway station in Manipur's Tamenglong district has been made operational for the purpose of loading and unloading essential commodities and food items. Khongsang station, a newly commissioned station in the Jiribam-Imphal new line project, started functioning in 2022.

The CPRO explained that the railway line was temporarily suspended earlier due to the prevailing law and order situation in Manipur. To facilitate traders based in Manipur in booking commodities through the Railways, a marketing inspector has been specially appointed in Imphal, who will be available 24/7 to address their queries.

According to the official, all traders from Manipur can now take advantage of the facility to book essential commodities from Khongsang station. Additionally, as a special consideration for the state, piecemeal booking of wagons has been permitted for the time being.

Already, onions from Maharashtra, potatoes from West Bengal, and FMCG products from Assam have been reserved for transportation to Manipur. The ongoing construction of the 111-km-long Jiribam-Imphal railway project by NFR has made significant progress, with 94% of the work completed. The project, valued at Rs 14,322 crore, is expected to be finalized by December this year.

Upon completion, Imphal will be integrated into the Indian Railways network, becoming the fourth capital city in the northeastern region to have a rail link, joining Assam, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh.

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