GUWAHATI: Guwahati received its first electric train at the Kamakhya station under the Lumding division on Thursday, October 21.
After successful completion of the railway electrification work up to Kamakhya station, and authorisation granted by the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) NF circle, the section from New Coochbehar to Kamakhya has finally opened for the operation of electric traction yesterday.
The first electric train was an NTSK/Parcel train. Up till now, the trains with electric locomotives were coming from Katihar and Malda up to New Coochbehar, where the electric loco was being detached from the train and diesel locomotive was being attached for its onward journey. Now, these trains will come directly up to Kamakhya station without change of traction. As such, there will be direct connectivity from New Delhi to Kamakhya on electric traction without a change of locomotive en route.
Electric traction will benefit with higher speed potential enabling faster trains, save time and energy, increase energy efficiency with a higher power to weight ratio, regenerative breaking, higher hauling capacity with high horsepower locomotives, improve reliability and line capacity, pollution-free mode of transportation, and will be cost-effective due to lesser maintenance and operating cost.
With this, a total of 760 Route KM/1701 Track KM has been electrified on Northeast Frontier (NF) Railway. The work has been carried out by Central Organisation for Railway Electrification and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.