India-Bhutan Railways Network: The talk of connecting both India and Bhutan to the rail network has been going on since 2018. It has now been officially approved. For this, both countries have signed an agreement. In which 6 stations will be connected to the railway network. This railway network will be a shock for China.
Indian Railways is going to lay the railway line from Kokrajhar to Bhutan in Assam. India has committed to give Rs 100 crore for the proposed 69.4 km railway line. There are plans to invest Rs 3500 crore. This railway line will connect Kokrajhar station to Galefu, Bhutan.
Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Northeast Frontier Railway Headquarters, said, “The project includes six stations in Bhutan including Balajan, Garubhasa, Runikhata, Shantipur, Dadgiri and Gallefu.” Apart from this, two 11 meter long bridges, 39 road under bridge, one road upper bridge, 65 small bridges, 29 main bridges and two important bridges will also be built. The final place survey of this infrastructure project has been successfully completed.
Travel and business will increase
The establishment of railway networks between the two countries will further strengthen travel and trade relations. Tourists will be able to travel to Bhutan at a cheap rate easily. Railway links will be constructed by the Government of India. As the contact between the two countries would be better, Bodoland of Assam will emerge as a transit and trade center. Local businesses and communities of the Northeast will get an opportunity to establish a business relationship in Bhutan. It is noteworthy that India wants to connect its rail network with Bhutan from 2018.
Network interrupted with neighboring countries due to political upheaval
Connectivity network relations have often been interrupted due to political upheaval in India’s neighboring countries Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Afghanistan. In November 2023, a 223 km railway line was surveyed from Mizoram’s capital Aizawl to Hibichua for the Indo-Myanmar Rail Network Project. But due to political upheaval in Myanmar, the project was stopped in the middle.
After the coup in Bangladesh too, the Indo-Bangladesh railway connectivity project from Agartala in Tripura to Akhora in Bangladesh has been released. The budget of this new railway project is Rs 1250 crore. It was Rs 708.73 crore. But since Sheikh Hasina’s escape, the rail service between Bengal and Bangladesh has been suspended by July 2024.
