Dimapur-Kohima Railway Project Reaches 41 Percent Completion
Yesterday, railway officials announced that the new rail link connecting Dimapur to Kohima is on track to open in 2029.
The Dimapur-Kohima railway line, a strategic infrastructure project connecting Nagaland's commercial hub Dimapur with the state capital Kohima, has reached 41% physical completion and is now targeting a 2029 opening. The 82.5-kilometer broad-gauge line, sanctioned in 2006-07 at an initial cost of Rs 2,326 crore that has since escalated significantly, involves extensive tunneling and bridging through difficult terrain. Once operational, it will provide Nagaland's first direct rail link to the state capital, reducing travel time and boosting connectivity for a region that has historically relied solely on road transport.
Construction on the Dimapur-Kohima railway line has reached 41 per cent physical completion, with the Northeast Frontier Railway maintaining a 2029 target for the project that will give Nagaland its first direct rail link to the state capital.
Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Northeast Frontier Railway, confirmed the progress figure to Indianexpress.com on Thursday. The 78.42-kilometre broad-gauge line runs from Dhansiri in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district through Chümoukedima and Kohima districts in Nagaland, terminating at Zubza.
The alignment is among the most engineering-intensive in the region. It requires 20 tunnels with a combined length of 31,169 metres, 27 major bridges and 149 minor bridges. Work is being executed on multiple tunnel faces simultaneously, supported by advanced construction techniques and continuous monitoring, Sharma said in a statement.
General Manager (Construction) Ashish Bansal, accompanied by senior officials, recently conducted a comprehensive inspection of the remaining sections. The review covered tunnel excavation, major bridge foundations, station yard development and other critical sites along the alignment.
The project is being commissioned in phases. The 16.5-km Dhansiri-Shokhuvi section opened in October 2021, followed by the 14.64-km Shokhuvi-Molvom stretch in March 2025. Regular passenger services now connect Shokhuvi to Guwahati and Naharlagun. Of the eight planned stations — Dhansiri, Dhansiripar, Shokhuvi, Molvom, Pherima, Piphema, Menguzuma and Zubza — the first three have been completed.
Sanctioned in 2006-07 at an initial cost of Rs 2,326 crore, the project has seen significant cost escalation over nearly two decades of difficult terrain work. Its completion would reduce travel times and provide an alternative to the sole reliance on National Highway 29, which is prone to landslides and seasonal disruption.
Indian Express