The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has set 2029 as the target year for completing the 78.42-km Dimapur (Dhansiri)–Kohima (Zubza) new railway line, an infrastructure project that will, for the first time, connect Nagaland's capital Kohima to India's national rail network. Senior officials confirmed the timeline on Thursday, 30 July, following a comprehensive on-site inspection of the project corridor.

Senior NFR Official Conducts Ground-Level Review

Ashish Bansal, General Manager (Construction), NFR, led the inspection, accompanied by senior officers from the construction wing. The team reviewed progress across tunnels, major bridges, station yards, and other critical construction sites along the project alignment. Bansal interacted directly with field engineers and reiterated the importance of maintaining pace while upholding the highest standards of quality, safety, and engineering excellence, according to NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma.

Scale and Complexity of the Project

The project traverses Karbi Anglong district of Assam and the Chumoukedima and Kohima districts of Nagaland, covering some of the subcontinent's most challenging hill terrain. It includes 20 tunnels with a cumulative length of 31,169 metres, 27 major bridges, and 149 minor bridges. The line will serve eight stations: Dhansiri, Dhansiripar, Shokhuvi, Molvom, Pherima, Piphema, Menguzuma, and Zubza.

Construction is being executed simultaneously across multiple tunnel faces, supported by advanced engineering techniques and continuous geological monitoring — an approach necessitated by the complex subsurface conditions of the Naga hills.

What Has Already Been Commissioned

The project has advanced in phases. The 16.5-km Dhansiri–Shokhuvi section was commissioned in October 2021, followed by the 14.64-km Shokhuvi–Molvom section in March 2025. Three stations — Dhansiri, Shokhuvi, and Molvom — are already operational. Regular passenger train services currently run from Shokhuvi to Guwahati and Naharlagun, and Molvom now functions as Nagaland's third major railway station.

Why This Milestone Matters for the Northeast

Once the full line is operational, Kohima will become the fifth Northeastern state capital connected to the national rail grid. Currently, four capitals have rail access: Dispur (near Guwahati) in Assam, Agartala in Tripura, Naharlagun near Arunachal Pradesh's capital Itanagar, and Sairang near Mizoram's capital Aizawl. The NFR has said the completed line will improve access to education, healthcare, tourism, and markets, and is expected to serve as a catalyst for the socio-economic development of Nagaland and the broader Northeastern region.

This comes amid a sustained push by the Centre to integrate the landlocked Northeastern states into India's rail infrastructure — a strategic priority that has seen significant budgetary allocations over successive Union Budgets. With the remaining sections under active construction, the 2029 deadline will be closely watched by both the state government and communities along the corridor.