In a bid to bring the country's northeastern states within the railway network, the Indian Railways are now on course to converting or commissioning various rail lines in three states in the region -- Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said here Wednesday while presenting the interim railway budget in the Lok Sabha.
The Railways are on course to converting the strategically important 510-km-long Rangiya (Assam) to Murkongselek (Assam) metre gauge line into broad gauge within this financial year.
"The capital (Itanagar) of Arunanchal Pradesh would soon be on the rail map in this financial year, as Harmuti-Naharlagun newline is expected to be commissioned shortly," he said.
The state of Meghalaya is also all set to come on the Railways map in this financial year itself, as the Dudhnoi-Mehendipathar new line is getting completed by March 2014, he added.