Single Track on Saraighat Bridge Causes Ongoing Train Bottleneck

Despite rapid progress in laying double railway lines across Assam, train movement continues to bottleneck at the Saraighat bridge, which still has only a single track. Experts say the issue stems from poor planning during the original bridge’s construction, and a second bridge built later was made road-only despite public demand.

While double-line work from Lumding to Furkating and New Bongaigaon to Kamakhya is advancing, the single-track bottleneck at Saraighat will persist until a new railway bridge—now tendered—is completed, which may take five years. Former railway officer Robin Kalita noted that the original bridge could have accommodated two tracks with a small additional cost, a missed opportunity that continues to affect rail traffic today.