JJ set to give Arunachal a joyride on toy trains

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s announcement regarding a railway link to the Arunachal capital may take a few years before it’s actually implemented. But, the tribals of this frontier state will soon have their first train with Governor J J Singh initiating a project to bring in two toy trains here. While the first would be a toy train that’s usually seen in parks across the country and which only children can board, the second would be a toy train that can run on narrow gauge — similar to those running on the Darjeeling or Kalka-Shimla routes.

“Railway Minister Lalu Prasad has promised to send us coaches that can run on narrow gauge. By the time they arrive, we will install a toy train in a park that’s being developed in Itanagar,” the Governor said. While the children’s train will be installed in Nyokum Lapang Park, the narrow gauge toy train would most likely run from Tezu or Pasighat. “People here haven’t seen a train, and these toy trains would provide them with first-hand experience,” he added. Singh has already received donations for the toy train at Nyokum Lapang and a toy-train manufacturer has agreed to supply five coaches at the cost price.

Arunachal’s has three nearest railheads are at Bhalukpong, Harmutty and Murkongselek, all in Assam and part of the Rangiya-Rangapara-Murkongselek metre gauge section. Not many trains ply on this route, as it lies flooded every monsoon season. The PM has announced a 33-km-long railway link from Harmutty in Assam to Naharlagun, a commercial town about 10 km from the state capital.

Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Sikkim are the three states in the region that do not have any railway presence. Mizoram and Manipur have miniscule railway tracks and a metre gauge track is ready for inauguration at Agartala in Tripura.