Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) will establish a new goods terminal at Shokhuvi railway station, 25 kilometres from Dimapur, to accommodate rising demand from traders.
On April 9, under the supervision of Lumding senior divisional operations manager KK Sharma and other Lumding division officials, NFR held a roadshow with traders and businessmen, including traders engaged in loading and unloading stone, cement, pulses, salt, and edible oil at Dimapur region, both at Dimapur and Shokhuvi railway stations.
Meanwhile, the participants were given information about the recently-opened Shokhuvi railway freight terminal, which features a full-length goods yard, a well-developed circulating space, and modern lighting.
Moreover, a field tour of the new terminal was also planned to get a firsthand look at the amenities on offer.
The freight loading facility at Shokhuvi, which is set to open soon, has piqued the traders’ interest. They believed that the facility would not only improve Nagaland’s logistics and transportation but also allow for more goods export and imported. Several businessmen from Nagaland, as well as one from Tripura, attended the event.
NFR to build a second goods terminal at Shokhuvi station
Meanwhile, NFR chief public relations officer (CPRO) Sabyasachi De told sources over the phone that a second goods terminal is being built at Shokhuvi station to help with increased cargo handling.
Moreover, he claimed that the extra goods terminal was built by NFR since the Dimapur railway station was unable to manage all bookings due to a congested site caused by encroachments.
De, on the other hand, stated that the present goods terminal at the Dimapur railway station would remain operational.
Meanwhile, major worries have been raised over the fate of the Dimapur railway station, which has been idle due to extensive encroachment on railway property, preventing any extension or development.
Despite being NFR’s second-highest revenue earner, Dimapur’s position as a crucial railway junction for Nagaland, Karbi Anglong, and Manipur is diminishing.
Nagaland has addressed the subject of excessive encroachment on various occasions throughout the years.
Further, encroachers have been evicted by the state government and, in particular, the district administration in Dimapur district.
This includes at least three mandirs that have sprung on the station’s grounds, one of which even offers to the house.
However, Dimapur railway station would become a feeder station for the soon-to-be-developed stations at Bokajan and Dhansiri unless this issue is adequately addressed.
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