India will construct two new railway lines to link India and Bhutan. One railway link will connect Banarhat in West Bengal, India, to Samtse, Bhutan, and another will connect Kokrajhar in Assam, India, to Gelephu in Thromde, Bhutan. The projects will strengthen transport connectivity and economic integration in the region.

The projects will cost an estimated INR40.33 billion (approximately $454.02 million) and will be jointly financed by Bhutan and India. Mr. Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary of the Government of India, said that the projects are aligned with Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City project, which aims to develop an economic hub linking Bhutan with South and Southeast Asia.

Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Railway Minister of India, said that the two projects would build a total of 89 kilometers of railway tracks and will be able to transport passengers and freight will be equipped with the latest signaling system.

Kokrajhar (India)–Gelephu (Bhutan) line will be completed in 4 years and will include almost 70 kilometers of rail and will have 6 stations, around 100 bridges, and around 40 underpasses. The Banarhat (India)–Samtse (Bhutan) line will be finished in 3 years and will include 19 kilometers of rail and will have 2 stations, 1 major bridge, 24 minor bridges, a flyover, and 37 underpasses.

• India to build two railway links to Bhutan at ₹4,033 crore to boost regional connectivity