Railways wraps up electrification work from Katihar to Guwahati

19 Oct 2021 CW Team

With the achievement of electrification work of the High-Density Network (HDN) from Katihar to Guwahati, the north-eastern city will now be linked to the major cities of the nation.

On Monday, Indian Railways, in a statement, said that the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has concluded the electrification work of the total 649 Route Kilometre (RKM) or 1294 Tonne Kilometre (TKM) of High-Density Network (HDN) from Katihar to Guwahati which will now link all major cities of the nation with Guwahati on Electric Traction.

Along with rendering the greener transportation in the northeast, this railway electrification up to Guwahati would save foreign exchange used on HSD Oil of about Rs 300 crore per annum. The HSD Oil consumption will decrease by approximately 3,400 KL per month. Additionally, the travel time between Guwahati to Katihar and Malda Town is likely to drop by up to 2 hours since trains can now run at higher speeds. The Line capacity improvement of up to 10-15% will decrease the saturation level on many of the sections on the NF Railway enabling more trains to run.

The NF Railway includes difficult terrain with a large number of graded sections, curves, and bridges. The electric traction will eradicate the requirement for multi diesel locos since higher HP electric engines can maintain higher speed in gradient sections. Additional Rajdhani Express trains can now be initiated for Northeastern states such as Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Sikkim.

A total of 15 pairs of existing trains starting and stopping at Katihar and Guwahati can move with an additional passenger coach by eliminating one power car, thus enhancing passenger throughput.

Image Source

Also read: Indian Railways completes electrification of 45,881 route km

With the achievement of electrification work of the High-Density Network (HDN) from Katihar to Guwahati, the north-eastern city will now be linked to the major cities of the nation. On Monday, Indian Railways, in a statement, said that the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has concluded the electrification work of the total 649 Route Kilometre (RKM) or 1294 Tonne Kilometre (TKM) of High-Density Network (HDN) from Katihar to Guwahati which will now link all major cities of the nation with Guwahati on Electric Traction. Along with rendering the greener transportation in the northeast, this railway electrification up to Guwahati would save foreign exchange used on HSD Oil of about Rs 300 crore per annum. The HSD Oil consumption will decrease by approximately 3,400 KL per month. Additionally, the travel time between Guwahati to Katihar and Malda Town is likely to drop by up to 2 hours since trains can now run at higher speeds. The Line capacity improvement of up to 10-15% will decrease the saturation level on many of the sections on the NF Railway enabling more trains to run. The NF Railway includes difficult terrain with a large number of graded sections, curves, and bridges. The electric traction will eradicate the requirement for multi diesel locos since higher HP electric engines can maintain higher speed in gradient sections. Additional Rajdhani Express trains can now be initiated for Northeastern states such as Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Sikkim. A total of 15 pairs of existing trains starting and stopping at Katihar and Guwahati can move with an additional passenger coach by eliminating one power car, thus enhancing passenger throughput. Image SourceAlso read: Indian Railways completes electrification of 45,881 route km

Infrastructure Urban

04 Dec 2025

ISRO’s IMAT Success Boosts Readiness for Maiden Gaganyaan Mission

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh informed Parliament that ISRO has achieved a key milestone in its preparations for India’s first human space mission with the successful completion of the Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT). He said in the Lok Sabha that the test forms a central part of the qualification campaign for the Crew Module’s parachute-based deceleration system, one of the most vital elements in human-rating the mission.According to Dr. Jitendra Singh, the IMAT recreated one of the most demanding descent conditions by intentionally del..

Infrastructure Urban

04 Dec 2025

Gyanesh Kumar Takes Charge as Chair of International IDEA Council

Chief Election Commissioner of India Gyanesh Kumar has assumed the Chairship of the Council of Member States of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance for 2026. The ceremony in Stockholm was also attended by India’s Ambassador to Sweden, Anurag Bhushan. India, a founding member of International IDEA, has long contributed to the organisation’s governance and global democratic dialogue, and the new Chairship signals broad recognition of the Election Commission of India as a trusted and innovative election management institution.During his visit, Kumar held discuss..

Infrastructure Energy

04 Dec 2025

Coal Mines Boost Local Growth and Support India’s Energy Self-reliance

The Magadh and Amrapali coal mines in Jharkhand are playing a pivotal role in strengthening India’s energy security, contributing nearly half of Central Coalfields Limited’s total coal production in 2024–25. Both mines support the broader goal of ensuring steady coal availability for the power sector under the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Magadh has estimated mineable reserves of 854.91 million tonnes, while Amrapali holds 456.34 million tonne. For FY 2025–26, the two are expected to generate net sales revenues of Rs 28.12 billion and Rs 23.67 billion respectively. Local development ..