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India on Monday announced its joint plan with Bhutan to implement two cross-border rail links with Bhutanese cities of Samtse and Gelephu at a cost of more than Rs 4,000 crore. The details of the initiative were made public by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at a media briefing.
The two governments have agreed to establish two cross-border rail links to connect Banarhat (West Bengal) to Samtse and Kokrajhar (Assam) with Gelephu, Misri said.
Highlighting trade linkages, Vaishnaw added, “India is the largest trading partner of Bhutan and most of the exempt trade of Bhutan is done through Indian ports. Therefore, it becomes very important to have a good seamless rail connectivity for the Bhutanese economy to grow and for the people to have better access to the global network. That’s why this entire project has been undertaken…”
“…These links that are being worked on will be critical for enhancing cargo and passenger movement. So it is in the context of this very special relationship that the two governments have agreed to establish two cross-border rail links between Banarhat and Samtse and Kokrajhar and Gelephu. This will be the first set of rail connectivity projects with Bhutan,” Misri said.
