Construction has commenced at Portal 1 of Tunnel No 7 for the Dimapur-Kohima new rail line project. The tunnel, according to a report by the Financial Express, is located in Tsiepama village of Medziphema circle, Dimapur district and is set to become the longest tunnel in the entire rail line spanning 6,610 meters. To facilitate access to Portal 1, a 12-km approach road has been constructed through challenging terrains, it added.
According to Sabyasachi De, CPRO of Northeast Frontier Railway, the Dimapur-Kohima project includes 27 major bridges, 148 minor bridges, 5 Road Over Bridges, 15 Road Under Bridges, and a total of 21 tunnels stretching across 31 km. The rail line project covers a distance of 82.5 km, with 2.75 km in Assam and 79.75 km in Nagaland. The overall cost of the project is estimated at Rs 6,663 crore.
The project will feature 8 new stations: Dhansiri, Dhansiripar, Shokhuvi, Molvom, Pherima, Piphema, Menguzuma, and Zubza. The 16.5 km section from Dhansiri to Shokhuvi was commissioned in October 2021.