Rail & IT Boost: Major Investments Announced for Assam
Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Electronics & IT, and Information & Broadcasting, attended the Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment and Infrastructure Summit in Guwahati.
During the summit, he announced several new initiatives and projects related to the Railway and IT industries, which will significantly contribute to Assam's development vision. He reiterated that the North East is the "New Engine" of India's development.
Key Announcements:
A new railway rolling stock manufacturing facility will be established at Basbari in Bodoland, fulfilling a crucial commitment under the Bodoland agreement.
A midlife reconstruction facility for locomotives will be set up at Lumding.
Guwahati Railway Station is being transformed into a world-class station, featuring a 12-story IT park.
Two Amrit Bharat Trains are scheduled for Assam within the next 10 months.
Two new intercity trains will be introduced soon: (i) Guwahati - Silchar, and (ii) Guwahati - Agartala.
Quadrupling work will be carried out in the strategic Chicken Neck area.
The Kokrajhar - Gelephu project will establish railway connectivity with Bhutan.
Six new Gati Shakti terminals have been sanctioned.
A semiconductor hub will be set up in Assam.
An electronics manufacturing hub will be established in Kamrup district.
Budget Allocation (in Crores):
Category
2009-14 (Annual Avg.)
2025-26
Budget Allocation
₹2,122 Cr
₹10,440 Cr
Infrastructure Progress (Figures in KM):
Category
2009-14 (Avg. per Year)
2014-25 (Avg. per Year)
New Tracks
67 km
166 km (2.5x)
Electrification
0 km
146 km
Since 2014, 1,824 km of new tracks have been constructed in Assam and the North East, exceeding the total rail network of Sri Lanka.
1,604 km of railway electrification has been completed since 2014.
Ongoing new track projects: 18 projects covering 1,368 km with a total investment of ₹74,972 Cr.
Future projects: Detailed project reports (DPRs) for 18 new projects (2,200 km) are under preparation, with a projected investment of ₹1,10,000 Cr.
60 Amrit stations are being developed at a cost of ₹2,039 Cr.
Rail flyovers/under-bridges:
Constructed since 2014: Cost > ₹5,500 Cr.
Under construction: 115 flyovers/under-bridges at a cost of ₹2,765 Cr.
Two Gati Shakti cargo terminals have been commissioned in Assam (Moinarband and Cinnamara), with six more under development (Chaygaon, New Bongaigaon, Bihara, Hilara, Baihata, and Rangjuli).
A Wagon Workshop will be set up in Basbari, Bodoland, at a cost of ₹300 Cr.
Upcoming Train Services:
Vande Bharat: Currently, one Vande Bharat train is operational in the Northeast. Another will run between Guwahati and Agartala.
Amrit Bharat Trains: Two new Amrit Bharat trains will operate between Guwahati - Delhi and Guwahati - Chennai.
Passenger Amenities (Since 2014):
Lifts: 43
Escalators: 37
Wi-Fi-enabled stations: 245
47,000 sq. meters (220 bighas) of land allocated for a semiconductor ecosystem at Jagi Road.
North East Region: Amrit Stations
Sixty (60) stations are being redeveloped into Amrit Stations, with investments exceeding ₹2,000 Cr.
State-wise Amrit Stations:
Arunachal Pradesh (1): Naharlagun (Itanagar).
Assam (50): Includes major stations like Guwahati, Kamakhya Jn, Dibrugarh, Lumding, Silchar, New Bongaigaon, and Tinsukia.
Semiconductor Skilling Initiatives: MoU between NIELIT and Gauhati University; Assam engineers undergoing training in Taiwan and Tata plants in Kolar & Hosur.
