The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has set the target to finish the ambitious Sevoke-Rangpo railway project — that would put the Himalayan state of Sikkim on the railway map of India — by the end of 2023.
According to officials of the NFR, around 50 per cent of all the major bridges and tunnels have been completed.
Work to finish infrastructure is in progress at different sites along the route.
“Around 55 per cent work of the 14 main tunnels of the railway project between Sevoke and Rangpo (the bordering town of Sikkim) is over. Also, 40 per cent work of 13 major bridges to come up along the route has been carried out so far,” said an official.
He said that on the rail route, tunnels would be built up to 39km out of which work is over in around 22km.
In 2009, the project was launched by the then Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee. It would be a 44.96 kilometre long rail route of which, 40 kilometres are in Bengal while the rest are within Sikkim.
Between Sevoke and Rangpo, three more stations — Reang, Teesta Bazaar and Melli — would be built along the route.
Ever since the project has been launched, questions have been raised on its implementation as the progress of work has been slow. The route passes through a landslide-prone zone, where executing the construction is tough, especially during monsoons.
“Also, the outbreak of Covid-19 affected the work. However, work is on in full swing now and we expect to finish the project by December 2023,”the official added.
Sikkim extension
Once the project is complete, the survey to extend the rail route from Rangpo to Gangtok, the Sikkim capital, will start, said NFR sources.
The project is also vital for security aspects as Sikkim sits on the India-China border.
“Completion of the project would help in smoother movement of defence forces and equipment. Sikkim is one of the key strategic areas of the country as it is also close to the Siliguri corridor, the slimmest part of India,” said a retired army officer.
Till now, the main mode of communication to Sikkim has been via road. The state has an airport in Pakyong inaugurated in 2018. But inclement weather conditions often disrupt flight services.
“The train route would also augment the inflow of tourists and industrial investment in Sikkim. The state has already emerged as a destination for pharmaceutical companies and there can be more investments,” said Surajit Paul, who represents an apex trade body of the region.
