Railway Minister plans extension of Sevoke-Rangpo railway project to Gangtok, Nathu La

PRASHANT ACHARYA, EOI, SILIGURI, MARCH 5, 2023 : Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday inspected the construction of the railway link between Sevoke and Rangpo that would connect Sikkim with the rest of the country. He inspected the arrangements being made to setup a junction station at Sevoke asked officials to design the station building as the gateway to Sikkim.

Sikkim is at present connected with the rest of the country only by National Highway 10which passes through steep slopes and there are frequent disruptions in road connection during the monsoon. 

The demand of increased traffic puts tremendous pressure on the road, making it more vulnerable and the journey more stressful. It is believed that railway connectivity will provide a more comfortable transportation infrastructure.

The railway project is of strategic importance too, with future plans to extend the line to Gangtok and thereafter on to the Sino-Indian border at Nathu La. 

This will meet the vital role of the railway line in meeting the requirements of defence. Vaishnaw said that in course of his visit to Sikkim he would also see how Gangtok and Nathu La could be connected by railways. 

The completion of this rail link would not only benefit the Indian army posted on the China border but would also boost tourism. 

Vaishnaw said between 2019 and 2014 the Centre had allotted only Rs 2,000 crore for the development of railways in the north-east but the Narendra Modi government had increased the sanction to Rs 10,000 crore for the development of railways in the NE