YK Poudel
The feasibility studies for railway connectivity from Samtse and Gelephu to India are expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, D.N Dhungyel announced that two railway links between Bhutan and India have been identified during the sixth Meet-the-Press on July 26.
“Due to challenges with the site for the Samtse-Banarhat project, the two countries are conducting studies to determine the best alignment for the route,” Lyonpo said.
For the Gelephu to Kokrajhar cross-border railway, which spans 70 kilometres, the Final Location Survey (FLS) is underway. “The North Frontier Railway (NFR) of India, in consultation with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT), is working on the design and drawings of the railway link,” Lyonpo added.
Similarly, for the 16-kilometre Samtse-Banarhat cross-border railway, the MoIT is studying the best location and alignment in consultation with the NFR. “The NFR has proposed two locations for the termination point, which are being further studied by the government,” Lyonpo said.
Bhutan’s railway connection with India is currently in the field-level engineering study phase, marking the initial stage of the project.
The work on detailed project reports (DPRs) was initiated by the Government of India earlier this year following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Bhutan and India, attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay in March.
The former foreign secretary of India, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, during his visit with the Indian Prime Minister, earlier said that the field-level engineering study would be completed within a few months, after which the detailed report on the construction would be initiated.
The Government of India, he added, will prioritise and focus on ensuring that the railways are constructed and completed on time.
Currently, Bhutanese exporters face challenges due to various restrictions when transporting goods through India by truck. The construction of the Bhutan-India railway link is expected to enhance trade and tourism between the two countries and improve connectivity.
The railway connectivity will also facilitate smoother movement of goods and people, boost economic activities, and strengthen bilateral ties.
In 2008, the then Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, announced the construction of the Nehru Golden Jubilee railway link during his visit to Bhutan to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s historic visit to Bhutan in 1958.
The budgets for the railway projects are still being finalised.
Bhutan and India signed an agreement in 2005 to connect the bordering towns of the two countries through a railway link.
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