Title - One year after successful engine trial run on Jiri-Tupul rail line : 27th jun13

Imphal, June 26 2013: A little over a year after the first trial engine run was successfully conducted on the Jiri-Tupul rail line on March 22, 2012, digging of the first tunnel along the this railway track under NF Railway at Awang Khun in Tamenglong district has been completed today.

The 460 metre long Tunnel No 19 which was completed today is among the 34 tunnels to be dug along the Jiri-Tupul rail line.

The tunnel was dug by a Hyderabad based private construction company, Sushi Infra Pvt Ltd.

Speaking to reporters who went there today, an official of the construction company engaged in the tunnel construction said that a machine, Rocket Boomer, weighing 37 MT imported from Sweden was deployed in digging the tunnel.

He said a total of 13 Rocket Boomers have been used in different points of the rail line construction by around 20 companies engaged in the construction under NF Railway.

The official said that insurgency problem, frequent bandh, blockade and unfavourable condition of the highway disturb the smooth progress of the railway construction.

The first of the 34 tunnels which has been completed

He also admitted that the companies have to rely on other highways for transportation of heavy equipment and other basic items as the condition of NH-37 is not favourable for vehicles carrying heavy equipment.

Frequent incidents of extortion, abduction and threats are problems faced by the companies from militants, he said.

It has also been estimated that around Rs 34 crore was spent in digging the tunnel.

On March 22 last year NF Railway successfully conducted the first trial engine run covering over a distance of 12 kilometres from Jiribam railway station to Dholakal.

The foundation stone of the rail line was laid in November 2004 by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh while Lalu Prasad Yadav was the then Railways Minister.

In 2005 the Jiri-Imphal rail line was declared a National Project.