Assam’s railway network has reached a major electrification milestone with the physical execution of the 172-km Lumding–Badarpur hill section completed, according to Salasar Techno Engineering Limited, the company that carried out the work for RITES Limited. The Rs 170-crore project covers 228 track km through landslide-prone hills and is expected to enable electric locomotive operations across the route.
The section is the final stretch required for the Railway Ministry to announce 100% railway electrification in Assam in September this year, the company said. It forms a broad-gauge freight corridor connecting the Barak Valley, Mizoram, Tripura and parts of Manipur with the rest of the country.
With the electrification work completed, electric locomotives will replace diesel engines on the route. The project involved constructing foundations, anchoring traction masts and installing overhead lines through narrow hill zones with low clearances. These works were carried out across terrain vulnerable to landslides, making access, construction and safety clearances central to the project’s execution.
The project also included the commissioning of two traction sub-stations at Langting and Haflong, along with eight switching stations. The section was brought into service in phases after inspections, trials and statutory clearances. The 54-track-km Lumding–Langting stretch completed safety inspections and locomotive trials in May 2023.
The 51-track-km Chandranathpur–Badarpur and 32-track-km Langting–Maibong segments received safety certification in March 2024. In August 2026, the Northeast Frontier Railway began operating electric goods trains on the Lumding, Langting and Maibong sections. Electrical inspector clearances for the Bandarkhal and Jatinga Lampur switching stations were issued on July 30 and August 5, respectively.
The route’s importance extends beyond Assam because it serves as a logistics link for the wider Northeast. Its freight function connects the Barak Valley and neighbouring northeastern states with the national rail network, while electrification removes the need for diesel traction on the completed sections. The supplied announcement did not provide projected fuel savings, changes in train timings or revised freight capacity.
Shashank Agarwal, managing director of Salasar Techno Engineering Limited, said the hill section had tested the project team through work such as anchoring masts on landslide-prone slopes and securing safety clearances. He credited RITES and the Northeast Frontier Railway for their support and described the corridor as a lifeline for the region.
The completion follows the phased certification and commissioning process undertaken across the hill section. The next operational milestone is the railway authorities’ wider use of electric traction across the remaining completed route and the formal announcement of full railway electrification in Assam.
