India-Bhutan Rail Link: India on Monday announced plans to construct the first two cross-border railway links with Bhutan at an estimated cost of Rs 4,033 crore. Two projects, namely the Kokrajhar-Gelephu new line and the Banarhat-Samtse new line, have been cleared.
Connecting Assam to Bhutan
The Kokrajhar-Gelephu line, worth Rs 3,456 crore, will link Assam’s Kokrajhar and Chirang districts with Bhutan’s Sarpang region. The 70-km stretch will feature six stations and nearly 100 bridges. Officials said the link will open new avenues for economic activity, improve goods and passenger movement. According to officials, the line will also support Bhutan’s plans to develop Gelephu as a “mindfulness city”.
West Bengal to Bhutan line
The Banarhat-Samtse line, valued at Rs 577 crore, will connect West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district to Bhutan’s Samtse region. Planned as a 20-km line with two stations and 25 bridges, it is expected to boost cross-border trade and support Bhutan’s efforts to transform Samtse into an industrial hub.
Speaking on the strategic importance of the projects, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that India is Bhutan’s largest trading partner, with most of its exports and imports routed through Indian ports. “It is very important to have seamless rail connectivity for the Bhutanese economy to grow and for people to have better access to the global network,” Vaishnaw said.
According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, the “major new initiative” between India and Bhutan is a testament to the depth of bilateral ties. “India and Bhutan share a relationship of exceptional trust, mutual respect and understanding. This is a relationship that is rooted in cultural and civilizational ties, extensive people-to-people relations and our shared developmental and security interests,” he said.