Sikkim: Sivok-Rangpo rail project likely to be ready by August 2025
First Published: 25th May, 2024 14:58 IST
The Sikkim rail project, which stretches over 45 kilometers from Sivok in Siliguri to Rangpo on the border, has 14 tunnels, 17 major bridges, and five stations.
In some good news for the people of Sikkim and Bengal, the crucial Sivok-Rangpo rail project is advancing towards completion and is expected to be ready by August 2025, Railway officials said.
The rail project, which stretches over 45 kilometers from Sivok in Siliguri to Rangpo in Sikkim, is expected to give the much needed boost to connectivity in Sikkim by offering an alternate route to National Highway 10 that is often hit by landslides and other natural and man-made issues disrupting traffic and causing a lot of inconvenience to people.
This strategic rail link is expected to strengthen Sikkim’s integration with the rest of India, promoting economic growth and enhancing accessibility to the Northeastern state.
The rail project has 14 tunnels, 17 major bridges, and five stations. Among these stations is an underground one at Teesta Bazaar in Kalimpong district, marking a notable achievement in Indian rail infrastructure.
The project was initially estimated to cost Rs 4,085 crore in 2015, but later the budget has been revised to approximately Rs 12,132.95 crore.
Key milestones in the project include the completion of all tunnel mining activities, as well as a significant 13.13 km of tunnel lining. The lining work continues in several tunnels, specifically T-02, T-03, T-05, T-06, T-07, T-10, T-11, and T-12. This progress highlights the project’s momentum as it approaches its new deadline of August 2025.
In the second stage, Indian Railways plans to extend service from Rangpo to Gangtok, as well as to extend rail connectivity all the way to the Indo-China border at Nathu La.
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