Sikkim Is Going To Get Connected To India's Railway Map In 2 Years; Rail Line Will Reach Up To China Border

 

Gangtok (Sikkim): The Himalayan state of Sikkim is going to get connected to the railway map of India within two years. This strategically important railway line being laid from Siliguri till Rangpo, the industrial area of the state, is likely to be ready by December 2024.

A team of national media here on Tuesday reviewed the status of construction of tunnels and bridges at various places related to the project. Darjeeling MP Raju Bisht also came to see tunnel number two on the occasion.

Will strengthen country's security and cross-border trade

Bisht told reporters that the construction work on the project started in 2010 after getting the forest clearance in 2019 and now the project is fast moving towards completion. He said that this rail line will go till Nathu La till the border of China. This will strengthen the country's security and cross-border trade.

 

38.6 km of 44.96-km rail line tunnel based

Mohinder Singh, project director of IRCON, a railway ministry undertaking implementing the project, told reporters that 38.6 km of the 44.96-km rail line is based on 14 tunnels and 3.5 km on 13 bridges.
 

He said that breakthrough has been done on 6 out of 14 tunnels and the last tunnel T14 is ready on which the tender for laying the track is going to be held.

He said that in the second phase of the project, the detailed project report has been prepared for laying about 35 km long line from Rangpo to Gangtok. Preliminary survey of the rail line from Gangtok to Nathu La is to be done.

Local citizens also eagerly waiting for rail line

Local citizens are also eagerly waiting for this rail line. They say that due to landslides during the rainy season, Sikkim is cut off from the rest of India and sometimes a long distance has to be covered via Darjeeling.

Route will not be obstructed due to landslides

 

Since most of the railway line is in the tunnel, the route will not be obstructed due to landslides and they will be able to have convenient transportation in all seasons.
Some citizens also feel that the supply of essential commodities will be easier in the hilly region and they will be able to get the goods at a cheaper rate as their transportation cost will come down.