Nagaland, India: Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh will now be directly linked via train routes, as after 1oo years of wait, the state of Nagaland finally got its second railway station after the commission of the Shokhuvi Railway station.
The first ever station was inaugurated in 1903 in Dimapur. Following the inauguration, the Chief Minister, Neiphu Tio flagged off the Donyi Polo Express from Shokhuvi. This train runs every day between Guwahati in Assam to Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh and now has been extended till Nagaland as well.
On the occasion, the state CM tweeted, “Today is a historic day for Nagaland. We’re getting the 2nd railway terminal passenger services after a gap of more than 100yrs on the Dhansari–Shokhuvi railway line. Elated to flag-off Donyi Polo Exp. from Shokhuvi station, an alt. route for N’land & Manipur passengers to Guwahati.”
For the 90-km-long board gauge route from Dhanisiri in Assam to Zubza in Kohima district of Nagaland, the foundation stone was laid in 2016 and the construction is in process. The earlier deadline was 2020, but it has been extended to 2024. The line is also expected to extend to Aizawl via New Kohima and Imphal.