Guwahati railway station to get two entry gates after ASTC land swap with NFR
CM Sarma stressed that the new station will meet highest standards, become a 'Paltanbazar landmark' & aid travelers
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma at the flyover Inaugural event in Guwahati (Photo: @himantabiswa/x)
Guwahati, Sept 27: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Saturday, inaugurated the Panbazar Road Over Bridge (ROB), calling it a major connectivity milestone for the city on the auapicious occasion of Mahapanchami.
“This over bridge will greatly ease traffic flowing towards the railway station and business hotspots,” Sarma said, while addressing the gathering.
Built at a cost of Rs 47 crore, the 290-metre-long flyover replaces the older structure, which had led to traffic congestion and disrupted train operations.
“The earlier bridge was too low, creating problems for rail movement. The new flyover is taller and stronger and waterlogging issues will not occur anymore. With its increased height, electric trains can now pass smoothly,” he added.
The Chief Minister also announced a larger redevelopment plan for Guwahati Railway Station.
Informing about a recent land exchange between the state and the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), he said, “We have offered the old ASTC landin Paltan Bazar to NFR. In return, the NFR has given us back an equivalent amount of land near Jalukbari.”
Sarma explained that the road to Paltan Bazar is narrow, and now, with the old ASTC land under NFR, “we will be able to access the railway station from both sides.”
"The new Guwahati railway station will be designed with two entry gates," he said.
Sarma stressed that the railway department will ensure the station is constructed to the highest standards, making it an attractive location in Paltanbazar and significantly easier for travelers.
“Assam is turning into a developed abode, and these initiatives will secure assets for future generations,” Sarma asserted.
Highlighting Assam’s growing railway infrastructure, Sarma noted that NFR’s annual investment in the state has risen from Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore, resulting in 1,800 km of new tracks and projects worth Rs 77,000 crore currently underway.
“Double railway lines between Lumding and Tinsukia, a new bridge parallel to Saraighat, and two-lane tracks will significantly reduce travel time to Delhi and Kolkata,” he said.
On flyover construction, he said Assam has added 11 flyovers and 20 underpasses between January and July this year.
He also informed that the Centre is assessing a Rs 15,000-crore multimodal rail-and-road project at Gohpur and Numaligarh and a proposed 32-km flyover in Kaziranga to protect wildlife during floods.
Addressing criticism over alleged tree felling at Dighalipukhuri, Sarma reiterated, “We have not cut a single tree. Ninety-five percent of the translocated trees have survived. This is not destruction, but better creation.”