In a significant development towards pollution free and cost-effective transportation, the first passenger train to run entirely on electric traction arrived at Kamakhya station in Guwahati, Assam on Thursday, official sources said.
The train No. 05956 Delhi-Kamakhya (Brahmaputra) Mail Special leaving from national capital city reached Kamakhya station of Guwahati on Thursday at 13:30 hours covering more than 2000 km on electric traction, the Union Railway Ministry said. It said, in return direction, the train No 05955 Kamakhya-Delhi (Brahmaputra) Mail Special left for Delhi from Kamakhya station at 14-30 hours today through electric traction.
The train became the first express train to run on electric traction up to Kamakhya station of Guwahati after successful operation of a parcel train on electric traction a day before.
Earlier on October 21, 2021, the Northeast Frontier Railway ran its first parcel train on electric traction up to Kamakhya station and achieved a historical moment for NF Railway and North-eastern region.
After successful completion of Railway Electrification works up to Kamakhya station and authorization granted by CRS/NF Circle after inspection from October 7 to 9, the section from New Coochbehar to Kamakhya was opened for operation of Electric Traction. With this, total 760 Route KM/1701 Track KM has been electrified on NF Railway, the ministry said in a release.
Up till now, the trains with electric locomotives were coming from Katihar and Malda up to New Coochbehar, where electric loco was being detached from train and diesel locomotive was being attached for its onward journey. Now with the completion of Railway Electrification works and commissioning of the section up to Kamakhya, these trains will come directly up to Kamakhya without change of traction. As such, there will be direct connectivity from New Delhi to Kamakhya on Electric Traction without change of locomotive enroute, the ministry added.
