Trial run of the first ever passenger train from Silchar Railway Station in Assam to Vaingaichunpao Railway Station in Manipur's Tamenglong district was conducted successfully on Friday. The train, a Rajdhani Express, accompanied by Railway officials reached Jiribam from Silchar around 11 AM. It stopped briefly at Jiribam railway station where the railway officials along with locals honoured the train, hoisted the national tricoloured flag and sang the National Anthem. The train then moved towards Vangaichungpao station in Tamenglong district, which is about 11 Kilometres away from the Jiribam town.

According to senior PRO of Northeast Frontier Railway Nripen Bhattacharya, formal inauguration of the passenger train service between Silchar and Vangaichungpao will be done by the Union Railway Minister soon and that the train service will benefit people of Manipur in connecting with other states of the country. He also said that construction for Vangaichungpao-Imphal rail line is going on full swing, mainly the tunnelling. He added that hectic works are on to complete the longest tunnel near the Imphal City as soon as possible.

Nripen Bhattacharya said, the railways would take necessary steps with regards to the project only in consultation with the higher authority based on steps initiated by Manipur government.