Smt. Jaya Varma Sinha, CRB & CEO of the Railway Board, undertook a comprehensive inspection to assess the progress of Tunnel No. 1, 7, and 8, along with the development at the underground station of the esteemed Sivok-Rangpo new rail line project.
Image Credit: Northeast Frontier Railway
More Details:
The Sivok – Rangpo new rail link railway project is one of the crucial connectivity projects for the North-Eastern region. Constructing new railway lines to connect all the state capitals of North-eastern region is going on under capital connectivity projects of Indian Railways. Rail connectivity projects are significantly contributing towards transformation of the North-eastern states. The works for the Sivok – Rangpo new rail link railway project, among other connectivity projects, is also going on in full swing to establish a railway connection between Sikkim and the rest of the country.
Image Credit: MoR
Brief about the Project:
- The total length of the Sivok – Rangpo rail line project is 44.96 Km (41.55 km in West Bengal & 3.41 km in Sikkim). Out of the total length of 44.96 km, 38.623 km (86%) is in the form of tunnels, 2.24 km (5%) in Bridges and 4.79 km (9%) length in open cutting/filling of station yards.
- New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) has been adopted for the construction of tunnelling works 30.11 km of tunnel mining works and 4.2 km of tunnel lining works have already been completed.
- The proposed line consists of 14 tunnels with the longest tunnel of 5.30 km & the shortest tunnel being 538 metre long. There are 13 nos. of major bridges and 10 nos. of minor bridges in the project.
- Works for all the major bridges are in progress and works of 06 no’s minor bridges have already been completed. The project includes construction of five stations viz. Sivok, Riyang, Melli, Rangpo and one underground halt station viz. Teesta Bazar.
Image Credit: MoR
Included in National Projects:
- The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 12,474 crores. At present all the activities related to construction of tunnels, bridges and stations on this project are in progress on war footing basis and targeted to complete by December, 2024.
- This is one of the prestigious ongoing National projects in India and on completion of this project, first time the state of Sikkim will be connected via railways. Once completed, this project will ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities in Sikkim.
- It will also be possible to introduce long distance train services from Sikkim to across various parts of the country. Tourism and economic activities of the state will also get a great boost.
Conclusion:
The Sivok-Rangpo new rail line project stands as a beacon of progress, poised to bridge connectivity gaps and foster economic development within the North-Eastern region. Under the leadership of Smt. Jaya Varma Sinha and with relentless efforts from all stakeholders, the project is set to redefine transportation infrastructure in the region, propelling Sikkim into a new era of growth and accessibility.
Source: NFR – Press Release | Featured Image Credit: Northeast Frontier Railway
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