The Northeast Frontier Railway on Monday said the proposed railway link from Assam’s Kokrajhar to Bhutan’s Gelephu is expected to be completed within three years, once construction begins, strengthening cross-border connectivity with the Himalayan nation.
NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, addressing a press conference, said two rail projects are planned for Bhutan connectivity. “For Bhutan connectivity, we have two projects. One is 69-km-long from Kokrajhar to Gelephu, and the other is 20-km-long between Banarhat (West Bengal) and Samtse (Bhutan).”
Chief Administrative Officer, NFR (Construction), Hitendra Goyal said the Assam project is likely to meet the three-year timeline after work commences. “The state government has been positive and helpful in taking forward the work,” he said.
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Progress on the Banarhat–Samtse line in West Bengal, however, remains slow due to land acquisition hurdles. The land required passes through four tea gardens, delaying clearances and preventing a firm completion timeline.
The Kokrajhar-Gelephu line has been declared a Special Railway Project, allowing fast-tracked approvals and land acquisition. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier announced both projects, which are expected to boost trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
Gelephu and Samtse are major export-import hubs along the 700-km India-Bhutan border. While Gelephu is being developed as a “mindfulness city”, Samtse is planned as an industrial town by the Bhutanese government.
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