Bengaluru: It’s a red-letter day in the history of Bihar as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the historic Kosi Rail Mahasetu (mega-bridge) and dedicated it to the nation through video-conference. He said, "Today, new history has been created in the field of rail connectivity in Bihar."
He added, "The people of Supaul, Araria and Saharsa districts will benefit greatly from the commencement of the train service between Asanpur-Kupaha via Kosi Mahasetu. It will also provide an alternative railroad for the companions of the northeast.”
"People of Bihar at present know the journey from Nirmali to Sariagarh is about 300 km. Now, the day is not far when their journey will be reduced to just 22 km."
"About 8.5 decades ago, a severe earthquake disaster isolated the Mithila and Kosi region. Today it is a coincidence that in the midst of a global epidemic like Coronavirus, these two zones are being interlinked," he added.
Talking about the initiatives taken by the Central government in improving the Indian Railways, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The broad gauge rail network of the Indian Railways has been made safer than ever, free of unmanned gates. Today, trains built in India like Vande Bharat are becoming a part of the rail network, a symbol of self-reliance and modernity."
"Four years ago, two mega bridges were built connecting North and South Bihar. The one was made in Patna and the another one in Munger. The bridges have made the lives of people commuting between North and South Bihar easy," he added.
The dedication of the Kosi Rail Mahasetu is a watershed moment in the history of Bihar and the entire region connecting to the Northeast.
In 1887, a meter gauge link was built in between Nirmali and Bhaptiahi (Saraigarh). During the heavy flood and severe Indo-Nepal earthquake in 1934, the rail link was washed away and thereafter due to meandering nature of river Kosi, no attempt was made to restore this rail link for a long period.