Himalayan Times (1958)

Sight

wtorks are likely to entail
an expenditure of Rs. 53
lakhs

It will be observed
from the above paragraphs
that large soale works
have been programmed for
increasing the transport
potential of the line at
a total oost of Us. 420
lakhs. The works have
been planned on the basis
that 500 wagons would
move each way daily bet-
ween Katihar and Siliguri
and 400 wagons beyond.

Assam Ball Link Poses A
Problem
The Assam rail link
runs along the foot of
the Himalayas and during
the monsoons the entire
drainage from these hills
passes across the railway
line The torrential rains
dislodge massive boulders,
uproot trees which bloek
the channels, olog the
bridge openings and tend
to divert the streams from
their established courses.
Some of the bridges on
the old alignment have
yielded in. the past to
this yearly onslaught ex-
posing the route to cons-
tant danger. As a result
of thn heavy damages
oaused by floods in 1950,
1952, 1954 and 1965 the
railway line and several
bridges have had to be
strengthened and other
improvements made. No
less than Rs. 3.5 ornrrs
have been <psnt since the
construction of the link

on the bridge proteotion
works on the link route
which inoludes old sections
of the Railway between
Bagrakote and Amingaon.

Strengthening Link Route

Extensive works for streng-
thening of the route have
now been taken in hand
and have made good pro-
gress. These works inolude
regrading of the railway
embankment where neces-
sary, rebuilding of bridges
with deeper foundations
in replacement of shallow
foundations, inorease of
water way and provision
of larger spans in plaoe
of shorter spans and pro-
rision and strengthening
of guide bunds, aprons
and other river protective
works. A sum of Rs. 3.5
orores is proposed to .be
spent on this aooount.

The , work on bridges
under traffic necessitates
imposition of speed res-
trictions, whioh naturally
slow down train move-
ments. There are at pre-
sent nine engineering res-
trictions between Kiehan-
ganj and Siliguri, eight
between Siliguri and Ali-
pur Duar and 16 between
Alipur Duar and Amin-
gaon. In addition, trains
carrying transport mate-
rials to the works site
are also considerably res-
tricting line capacity. At
present 16 material trains
are working between Kati-
har and Amingaon for

April 20, 1(J58

works in connection with
the strengthening of the
link route.

No efforts are being
spared to make the link
a dependable, oontinuoua
and all-weather line of
communication between
the eastern frontier and
rest of India.

A well-equipped work-
shop it a pre-requisite for
the effioient working of a
railway. With the bifur-
cation, this Railway has
been left without a major
workshop and plans are
afoot to have at Bongai-
gaon a carriage, wagon
and loeomotive repair
workshop. In the first
phase a earriage and wagon
repair shop is to be built
at a oost of Rs. 589 lakhs.
The engineering worksho p
situated at Bongaigaon s
also being expanded to
take on the additional
workload.

Work on Brahmaputra
Bridge to Commence
this Year

Brahmaputra is the
only major Indian river
whioh has not so far
been bridged. The large
soale traffio inorease anti-
cipated in the area due
to projeoted industrial
development scheme have
rendered necessary early
provision of a bridge
across the river at Amin-
gaon. The Brahmaputra
has, for centuries, main-
tained a stable reaoh bet-