In an age where infrastructure is the bedrock of economic progress, the case of Tuli Railway Station in Mokokchung district, Nagaland, is as baffling as it is revealing. With a reported revenue of Rs 24 crore in 2023–24, the station has outperformed expectations by any standard. Yet it remains a ghost station—no staff, no passenger services, and no strategic investment plan. This contradiction is not just administrative oversight; it is symptomatic of a larger failure to align policy with performance in Nagaland’s development narrative.
The data is unambiguous. According to the Business Association of Nagas (BAN), Tuli Railway Station has seen an exponential rise in goods revenue—from Rs 58 lakh in 2020–21 to Rs 12.68 crore in 2021–22, Rs 15.9 crore in 2022–23, and finally Rs 24 crore in 2023–24. These are not modest figures. They indicate that Tuli is no longer a redundant stop on a forgotten line but a key node in regional goods transport, despite being abandoned administratively.
Even more remarkable is that this entire operation is being held together not by the state or the Railways but by a civilian—Putumeren, the son of the original land donor. In any other part of India, a revenue-generating station like this would have spurred expansions, modernisation, and policy attention. But in Nagaland, it has taken a volunteer to ensure that trains continue to roll in and out of Tuli. This is not a feel-good story; it is an indictment.
The Railway Ministry’s official stance has oscillated between disinterest and vague assurances. In 2023, then Transport Minister Paiwang Konyak stated there were no plans to revive passenger services. A year later, however, a flicker of hope emerged when Northeast Frontier Railway General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastav agreed to consider a Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) experimental route and conduct a site visit. The involvement of MP Supongmeren Jamir in high-level discussions with NFR officials added further weight to the growing calls for revival.
Importantly, the Village Council and landowners have expressed full support, removing one of the most common bottlenecks in Nagaland’s infrastructure projects.
So what is holding us back?
One layer of the problem lies with the stalled Dimapur-Tuli-Tizit line, which was put in abeyance by the Railway Board in 2019. Another rests with the state government’s own dilemma: the Tuli-Dimapur line was approved in 2011–12 with the condition that land be given free of cost. But landowners have demanded that the long-delayed Foothill Road be completed first. Chief Minister Rio has acknowledged this impasse, offering assurances of renewed engagement. But time is ticking.
The neglect of Tuli is no longer just a bureaucratic footnote. It poses fundamental questions about how development is prioritised in Nagaland. Can a railway station that earns Rs 24 crore a year still be considered a “low footfall” stop? Why must the local community shoulder the burden of operational continuity when both the Centre and the State have clear obligations? Why is performance not rewarded with investment?
Tuli deserves more than applause from afar. It deserves a plan.
This is not just about one station. It is about demonstrating that when Nagaland delivers, the system responds. The time has come for both the Government of Nagaland and the Indian Railways to put Tuli Railway Station on the map, not just as a revenue generator but as a symbol of what partnership between people and the state can achieve when backed by policy and vision.
Until then, Rs 24 crore stands as a silent accusation.