INDIA will finance and construct two cross-border rail links with Bhutan worth Rs 46bn ($US 541m): the 69km Kokrajhar - Gelephu line and 20km of new line from Banarhat to Samtse.
Announcing the projects at a joint press conference with India’s foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, railways minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said the new lines would serve as vital trade and passenger corridors, unlocking new economic opportunities for both nations.
The Gelephu line will support Bhutan’s planned “mindfulness city” project, while Samtse is emerging as an industrial hub, particularly for the export of minerals such as dolomite and ferrosilicon to India.
Indian Railways (IR) will fund construction within India, while India’s Ministry of External Affairs will finance works within Bhutan, as part of India’s Rs 100bn development package contributing to Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan.
In the Banarhat - Samtse project, 2.13km of track is within Bhutan and 17.42km within India. On the new Kokrajhar - Gelephu line, 2.39km will be in Bhutan and 66.66km in India.
The Kokrajhar - Gelephu line, involving the construction of 29 major bridges, six stations and two viaducts, is expected to take four years to complete, while the Banarhat - Samtse line is likely to be finished within three years, Vaishnaw said.
Both lines will be fully electrified, and 160km/h Vande Bharat EMUs are planned to be used for passenger services, Misri added. Freight trains will also operate on the routes, providing access to Indian ports, markets and regional transport corridors under the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) framework.
Northern connectivity
The announcement comes against the backdrop of China’s growing rail infrastructure development near India’s northeastern borders, with the Indian government accelerating efforts to strengthen connectivity in the region in recent years.
The 118km Imphal - Moreh line to the border with Myanmar is under construction and targeted for completion in 2027. There is a proposal to extend the Agartala - Akhoura line to Sabroom on the border with Bangladesh, providing access to the Bay of Bengal via Myanmar’s Sittwe port. Surveys are also underway for a 223km line connecting Sairang in the Indian state of Mizoram to Hbichhuah, close to the border with Myanmar.
In total, India plans to build 500km of strategic railways along its borders with China, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan at an estimated cost of Rs 300bn. These projects are scheduled for completion by 2029.
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