Rangiya–Murkongselek section

Railway line in India

Rangiya–Murkongselek section (including Rangapara North-Dekargaon, Balipara-Bhalukpong & Harmuti-Naharlagun branch lines)

Harmuti Junction an important railway station on Rangiya–Murkongselek section

Overview
Status| Operational
Owner| Indian Railways
Locale| Assam
Termini|

* Rangiya
* Murkongselek

Service
Operator(s)| Northeast Frontier Railway
Technical
Line length| 450 km (280 mi)
Number of tracks| 1
Track gauge| 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad gauge
Electrification| Yes

Route map

Legend

|  |  |

|
|
|
|

|  |

| New Bongaigaon–

Guwahati section

|  |

| Rangiya
|  |

| New Bongaigaon–

Guwahati section

|  |

| Khandikar
|  |

| Goreswar
|  |

| Khoirabari
|  |

| Tangla
|  |

| Harisinga
|  |

| Udalguri
|  |

| Rowta Bagan
|  |

| Majbat
|  |

|  | Panchnoi

(closed NG section)
|  |

| 89

Hugrajuli
|  |

|  |

closed NG section

|  |

| Sapoi Siding
|  |

| Sapoi Hat
|  |

| Dibru Darrang Siding
|  |

| Dherai Siding
|  |

| Monmohinipur Road
|  |

| Dhekiajuli
|  |

| Dhekiajuli Tea Estate
|  |

| Sirajuli
|  |

| Singri
|  |

| Dhekiajuli Road
|  |

106

| Belsiri
|  |

111

| New Missamari
|  |

113

| Misamari
|  |

|  |

Gabharu River

|  |

118

| Borjuli Road
|  |

|  |

Thakurbari T.E No. 1

|  |

123

| Rangapara North Junction
|  |

124

| Rangapara
|  |

127

|  | Borjuli Tea Estate

(closed NG section)
|  |

127

| Thakurbari
|  |

132

| Sessa
|  |

138

| Bindukuri
|  |

142

| Dekargaon
|  |

|  |

closed MG section

|  |

146

| Dadhora Halt
|  |

150

| Tezpur
|  |

|  |

| planned bridge on

Brahmaputra River

|  |

| Dekargaon–Silghat Town line

(under construction)

|  |

129

| Borjuli
|  |

131

| Nahorani Siding
|  |

132

| Balipara Junction
|  |

|  |
|  |

139

| Char Duar
|  |

145

| Gamani
|  |

|  |

| Assam

Arunachal Pradesh
border

|  |

166

| Bhalukpong
|  |

|  |

planned connection

|  |

|  | Tenga
|  |

|  | Dirang
|  |

|  | Tawang
|  |

140

| Jiabharali
|  |

|  |

Kameng River

|  |

148

| Dhalaibil
|  |

154

| Nagsankar
|  |

161

| Nizchatia
|  |

173

| Vishwanath Chariali
|  |

183

| Monabari
|  |

190

| Niz Bargang
|  |

199

| Bedeti
|  |

206

| Helem
|  |

210

| Tetonbari
|  |

215

| Brahmajan
|  |

225

| Gohpur
|  |

234

| Dubia
|  |

243

| Uttarkathani
|  |

249

| Tatibahar
|  |

257

| Tipling
|  |

|  |

Dikrong River

|  |

266

| Harmuti Junction
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

| Assam

Arunachal Pradesh
border

|  |

276

| Gumto
|  |

285

| Naharlagun
|  |

270

| Tanijan
|  |

279

| Kathal Pukhuri
|  |

286

| Silanibari
|  |

296

| North Lakhimpur
|  |

|  |

planned connection

|  |

304

| Lilabari
|  |

313

| Siajuli
|  |

321

| Boginadi
|  |

331

| Subansiri
|  |

|  |

Subansiri River

|  |

340

| Gogamukh
|  |

|  |

| Assam

Arunachal Pradesh
border

|  |

|  | Bame
|  |

|  | Aalo
|  |

|  |

| Arunachal Pradesh

Assam
border

|  |

345

| Na Nadi
|  |

352

| Bordloni
|  |

|  |

Kumotiya River

|  |

359

| Jiadhal
|  |

365

| Dhemaji
|  |

373

| Moridhal
|  |

377

| Sripani
|  |

|  |
|  |

384

| Sisibargaon
|  |

|  |

planned connection

|  |

388

| Silapathar
|  |

386

| New Sisibargaon
|  |

396

| Tangani
|  |

|  |

| Bogibeel Bridge over

Brahmaputra River

|  |

Lumding–Dibrugarh section

|  |

398

| Archipathar
|  |

403

| Dimov
|  |

408

| Dipa
|  |

|  |

Simen River

|  |

412

| Simenchapari
|  |

418

| Dekapam
|  |

422

| Jamjing
|  |

425

| Telam
|  |

|  |

Dikhari River

|  |

433

| Laimekuri
|  |

442

| Jonekarang
|  |

450

| Murkongselek
|  |

|  |

| Assam

Arunachal Pradesh
border

|  |

463

| Sille
|  |

469

| Rani
|  |

480

| Pasighat
|  |

|  |

| under construction ↑

planned ↓

|  |

|  | Roing
|  |

|  | Tezu
|  |

|  | Parshuram Kund
|  |

to Rupai (planned)

Sources:

* Google Maps
* Indian Railway Time Table
* Presentation on Development of Rail Infrastructure
in the Northeast Region

|  |  |  |  |  |

The Rangiya–Murkongselek section is a 450 km (280 mi) long railway line connecting Rangiya in Kamrup district with Murkongselek in Dhemaji district in the Indian state of Assam. The entire section is under the jurisdiction of Northeast Frontier Railway.

## History

[edit]

### Tezpur-Balipara Light Railway

[edit]

The Tezpur-Balipara Light Railway was built as a 20 mi (32 km) long, 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway line between Tezpur and Balipara in 1895 with the primary aim of transporting tea from upcountry estates to the river port of Tezpur for onward shipment down the Brahmaputra to Calcutta. A 2 miles (3.2 km) extension to this line was made from Rangapara, then a station on this line, to Borjuli Tea estate as well. However, this line was closed to traffic on 1908.[1]

This line continued to operate until 1952 before it was taken over by the North Eastern Railway and was converted to metre gauge.[2]

### Singri-Panchnoi River Tramway

[edit]

The Singri-Panchnoi River Tramway was a privately owned narrow gauge line that ran northwards from Singri Ghat on the Brahmaputra River to the environs of Hugrajuli. The line opened in 1919 to transport tea down to the Singri Ghat.[3][4]

### Eastern Bengal Railway

[edit]

Tracks were laid at Rangiya as a part of the extension of Eastern Bengal Railway's main metre gauge line from Sarbhog to Amingaon in 1909.[5] The Tangla extension was built from Rangiya to Tangla in 1912.[6] The line was extended to Rangapara North station on the Tezpur-Balipara Light Railway by 1933.[2]

### Post-independence

[edit]

Post-independence the metre-gauge line was extended from Rangapara North to Murkongselek. The Balipara-Bhalukpong branch line was built in 1989–90.[7]

## Conversion to broad gauge

[edit]

The conversion of this section to broad gauge started on 2007–08. The Rangiya-Rangapara North-Dekargaon section was converted and opened for traffic in 2013. The Tezpur railway station was abandoned however owing to its proximity to Brahmaputra river which caused frequent flooding and Dekargaon railway station became the terminus of the branch line. The Rangapara North-Harmuti & Harmuti-North Lakhimpur sections were converted in 2014 and the North Lakhimpur-Sripani section was converted and opened in 2015. The final stretch between Sripani and Murkongselek along with the Balipara-Bhalukpong branch line was converted and opened to traffic in May 2015 as well.[8]

## Branch lines

[edit]

The Balipara-Bhalukpong branch line was built in 1989–90.[7] The line was converted to broad gauge in May 2015.[8]

The Harmuti-Naharlagun branch line was announced in 2008 and was opened in 2014 as a part of the Rangiya-Murkongselek gauge conversion project. This was declared a national project considering that it connected Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh, with the Indian railway network.[9]

The Bogibeel Bridge was sanctioned in 1997 and work started on it in 2002. It was intended to link the Rangiya-Murkongselek section on the north bank of the Brahmaputra with the Lumding-Dibrugarh section in the South bank. The work was completed on 2018 and the first train across the bridge was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[10]

## Proposed projects and extensions

[edit]

See also: Geostrategic rail lines of India

Three national projects of strategic importance are proposed in this section primarily focusing on providing connectivity with Arunachal Pradesh. A broad gauge railway track is proposed from the existing rail head at Bhalukpong to Tawang via Tenga & Dirang. Another Lakhimpur-Bame-Silapathar line is proposed from North Lakhimpur to Silapathar via Bame & Aalo The terminal station of the section is also expected to be moved from Murkongselek to Parshuram Kund in Arunachal Pradesh, via Pasighat and Tezu and to further connect it to the Lumding–Dibrugarh section at Rupai.[11]

The 25 km (16 mi) long Silghat Town-Dekargaon new line project has been sanctioned to connect Silghat on the south bank of Brahmaputra on the Chaparmukh-Silghat branch line with Dekargaon. This also entails the building of a new railway bridge across the Brahmaputra River.[12]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Government of India (1918). Bombay Baroda And Central India Railway System.
2. ^ a b "[IRFCA] The Tezpur Balipara Light Railway". www.irfca.org. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
3. ^ Singri, Naveen (12 February 2003). "Acute Renal Failure". JAMA. 289 (6): 747–51. doi:10.1001/jama.289.6.747. ISSN 0098-7484. PMID 12585954.
4. ^ "1934 Bradshaw, page 314b". www.irfca.org. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
5. ^ Government of India (1918). Bombay Baroda And Central India Railway System.
6. ^ Government of India (1918). Bombay Baroda And Central India Railway System.
7. ^ a b "[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: Gauges in India". www.irfca.org. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
8. ^ a b "Rangiya-Murkongselek gauge conversion done".
9. ^ "Arunachal Pradesh now on India's railway map". The Times of India. Press Trust of India. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
10. ^ "Bogibeel bridge Assam: Narendra Modi inaugurates India's longest rail-road bridge in Assam". The Times of India. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
11. ^ "RAIL CONNECTIVITY ENHANCEMENT IN NORTH EASTERN STATES" (PDF).
12. ^ "NORTHEAST FRONTIER RAILWAY Assets-Acquisition, Construction and Replacement for 2019-20" (PDF).

* v
* t
* e

Railways in North-East India

National network/
trunk lines|

* Howrah–New Jalpaiguri line
* Barauni–Guwahati line

Branch lines/ sections|

* Alipurduar–Bamanhat branch line
* Bairabi–Sairang line
* Barauni–Katihar section
* Guwahati–Lumding section
* Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line
* Katihar–Siliguri line
* Lumding–Sabroom section
* Lumding–Dibrugarh section
* New Bongaigaon–Guwahati section
* New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section
* New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line
* New Mal–Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar line
* Rangiya–Murkongselek section

Monorail|

* Aizawl Monorail

Defunct lines|

* Cherra Companyganj State Railways

Transit points
with Bangladesh|

| Active|

* Haldibari–Chilahati

|

Defunct|

* Mahisasan–Shahbajpur
* Changrabandha–Burimari
* Gitaldaha–Mogalhat

Railway companies|

* Eastern Bengal Railway
* Assam Bengal Railway
* Bengal Dooars Railway
* Cooch Behar State Railway
* Dibru–Sadiya Railway
* Jorehaut Provincial Railway
* Northeast Frontier Railway

See also|

* Indian Railways
* Bholu (mascot)
* North-east Indian railways during World War II

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