Mendipathar Railway Station in North Garo Hills, Meghalaya, is helping farmers reduce transport costs and reach markets in Guwahati and beyond, according to deputy commissioner MSN Marak. The station, Meghalaya’s first railway station, is also being used to move goods to major cities including Kolkata and Delhi.
Marak told visiting journalists from Shillong on Monday that the railway service had enabled farmers to transport freshly harvested vegetables and other agricultural produce to Guwahati, sell them in the city and return home the same day. The visiting media team was in North Garo Hills as part of a press tour organised by the state directorate of information and public relations.
“The railway service has enabled farmers to transport freshly harvested vegetables and other agricultural produce to Guwahati, where they can sell their produce and return home the same day,” Marak said. She added that the arrangement had considerably reduced transportation costs while giving farmers access to wider markets outside Meghalaya.
According to the deputy commissioner, organic vegetables from the region are in high demand in Guwahati. The rail link is therefore providing local farmers with an additional route to market their produce, instead of limiting sales to nearby areas. The reported reduction in travel costs could also improve the viability of moving agricultural goods over longer distances, although the report does not provide specific freight rates or volumes.
Marak said the railway network had also helped reduce the cost of essential commodities entering the district by facilitating the direct transportation of goods. She contrasted the situation with districts without railway facilities, where transportation costs tend to be higher. The rail connection is being used both to send goods from North Garo Hills to larger urban centres and to bring products from those centres into the region.
Mendipathar’s role extends beyond passenger connectivity. The station is serving as a logistics link between a largely rural district and major consumption and trading centres, allowing agricultural produce to move towards Guwahati while supporting the inflow of goods from larger cities. For residents, the effect described by the district administration includes lower transport costs for essential commodities and improved access to markets for farm produce.
Marak said railway infrastructure was being expanded and expressed the expectation that improved connectivity would attract investment and encourage industrial development in North Garo Hills. She said the establishment of industries could create wider economic opportunities, benefit farmers and contribute to Meghalaya’s overall development. No specific expansion projects, investment figures or implementation timelines were provided in the report.
The deputy commissioner also addressed concerns about influx linked to railway connectivity. Responding to questions about opposition from NGOs to the introduction of railways in the Khasi Hills region, she said people were entering North Garo Hills through roadways rather than Mendipathar Railway Station. She pointed to the district’s border with Assam and said movement into the district was taking place through roads.
The administration’s account places Mendipathar railway connectivity within two immediate policy concerns: reducing the cost of moving goods and expanding the economic reach of farmers in a district connected to Assam and wider regional markets. The next phase of railway infrastructure expansion and its effect on freight movement, commodity prices and industrial activity will determine how far those benefits extend.
