New Delhi: The Centre on 29 September unveiled the first-ever rail connectivity projects between India and Bhutan, approving two new cross-border lines spanning a combined 89 km at an estimated cost of Rs 4,033 crore.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced the initiative at a press conference, noting that the Kokrajhar–Gelephu line in Assam and the Banarhat–Samtse line in West Bengal mark a historic step in bilateral transport ties.
The projects stem from a memorandum of understanding signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bhutan in March 2024, followed by a formal agreement during the Bhutanese Foreign Secretary’s visit to New Delhi.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the new links will give Bhutan access to India’s 1.5-lakh-km railway network, strengthening trade and travel. “India is the largest trading partner of Bhutan… seamless rail connectivity will help the Bhutanese economy grow and improve access to the global network,” he said.
The 57-km Kokrajhar–Gelephu corridor, budgeted at Rs 3,456 crore, is to be completed in four years and will feature six stations, two viaducts, 29 major bridges, 65 minor bridges, two goods sheds, a flyover and 39 underpasses. The 32-km Banarhat–Samtse route, costing Rs 577 crore, is planned over three years with two stations, a major flyover, 24 minor flyovers and 37 underpasses. Both lines are being designed to accommodate Vande Bharat trains.
The announcement comes as India doubles its developmental assistance to Bhutan to Rs 10,000 crore for the 13th Five-Year Plan (2024-29). Connectivity remains a key pillar of cooperation, alongside hydropower projects and recent infrastructure such as the Darranga integrated check post and the Jogighopha Inland Waterways Terminal.
India accounts for nearly 80 per cent of Bhutan’s trade and remains its largest development partner, underscoring the strategic and economic weight of the new rail links.
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