The first cross-border railway line between India and Bhutan, with an investment of Rs 3,000 crore, is set to begin construction soon. Chetan Kumar Srivastava, General Manager of North Eastern Frontier Railway, announced that the finalized location survey is nearly complete. This significant infrastructure project aims to boost foreign trade among India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.

The new railway line will be the first of its kind between the two nations. The finalized location survey (FLS) is almost done, and construction is expected to start shortly. The project will facilitate trade by providing a direct route from Kokrajhar in India to Gelphu in Bhutan’s Sarpang district, with 58 km of the 70 km line inside Bhutan.

This initiative follows an agreement signed after discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay during Modi’s visit to Bhutan on March 22. The project builds on the successful reopening of the Haldibari-Chilahati railway line between India and Bangladesh, which had been closed since 1965.

Currently, Bhutan relies on Indian railways for trade with Bangladesh. The new Kokrajhar-Gelephu railway will enhance Bhutan’s trade capabilities, significantly boosting international trade among the three countries. It will also facilitate the direct transport of Bhutanese sandstone to Bangladesh, which is currently shipped from Dumdim in India.

The project was initially discussed in 2017 with Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The new railway is expected to improve Bhutan’s socio-economic status and enhance trade between India and Bhutan.

Source: etv Bharat