Guwahati, Feb 3 (IANS): The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has started a final location survey of the 111 km Imphal-Moreh section for construction of a new broad gauge railway line intending to link India with the neighbouring Myanmar, NFR General Manager Anshul Gupta said on Thursday.

The NFR General Manager while talking with the media said that the final location survey up to Moreh along India-Myanmar border is expected to be completed by July or August this year, following which, the budget estimate would be finalised.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, after visiting Manipur last month, accorded sanction for the final location survey of the 111 km Imphal-Moreh section.

The commercial capital of Manipur and India's gateway to South-East Asia, Moreh is a rapidly developing trade point in India on the border with Myanmar, with the city of Tamu on the other side of the border. The India-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Moreh connects India to Kalewa in Myanmar's Sagaing Division.

According to the other railway officials, the proposed new broad gauge railway line once constructed would be of strategic importance and form an important part of the proposed Trans-Asian Railway which would connect India with South East Asia on a rail network.

The NFR is now implementing the Rs 14,320 crore Broad Gauge railway project to connect the Manipur capital Imphal by 2024.

After the completion of the vital 111 Km railway line from Jiribam, along Manipur-Assam border to Imphal by 2024, Manipur capital Imphal would be the fourth capital city in the northeastern region after Assam's main city of Guwahati (adjoining capital Dispur), Tripura capital Agartala and Arunachal Pradesh's Naharlagun (adjacent to capital city Itanagar).

The NFR is also laying new railway tracks to connect the capital cities of two more northeastern states -- Mizoram and Nagaland.