The railway line between India and Bhutan is a significant infrastructure project, with an investment of Rs 3,000 crore. This will be the first cross-border rail link between the two countries. The finalised location survey (FLS) for this railway is nearing completion. General Manager of North Eastern Frontier Railway Chetan Kumar Srivastava announced that construction will commence soon. This railway line aims to facilitate foreign trade between India, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
The agreement for this project was signed following discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay during Modi’s visit to Bhutan on March 22. The project is expected to follow the successful reopening of the Haldibari-Chilahati railway line between India and Bangladesh, which had been closed since 1965. Currently, the Maithali Express and freight trains are operating on this route.
Bhutan currently relies on India’s railways for its trade with Bangladesh. The new Kokrajhar-Gelephu railway will further enhance Bhutan’s trade capabilities with both India and Bangladesh, significantly boosting international trade among the three nations. The railway will also facilitate the direct transport of Bhutan’s sandstone to Bangladesh, which is currently loaded from Dumdim in India.
The railway project was initially discussed in 2017 during a meeting between the Prime Minister of India and the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Of the 70 km railway line, 58 km will be laid inside Bhutan. The line will run from Kokrajhar in India to Gelphu in Sarpang district, Bhutan’s largest economic zone.
This new railway is expected to greatly improve the socio-economic status of Bhutan and enhance the import and export of goods between India and Bhutan. Additionally, a second railway station will connect the Banarhat railway line with the Indo-Bhutan border tea plantations from Bhutan’s Samsi district.
Chetan Kumar Srivastava, General Manager of North Eastern Frontier Railway, stated, “The railway line from India’s Kokrajhar to Bhutan’s Gelephu will be 70 km. The Final Local Government Survey (FLS) is already being conducted by the Northeast Frontier Railway.”
