To Bhutan By Rail: India, Bhutan To Finalise Location Of 58-Km Corridor Between Kokrajhar And Gelephu

India and Bhutan have agreed to go ahead with the final location survey of the first cross-border rail link between the two countries.

This comes after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and and Bhutan’s fifth King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in Delhi on Monday.

According to the joint statement issued after the meeting, two sides agreed to undertake the Final Location Survey (FLS), in consultation with the Bhutanese side, of the proposed 58 km cross-border rail link connecting Kokrajhar in Assam, to Gelephu in Sarpang, Bhutan.

Indian Railways has already completed the Preliminary Engineering-cum-Traffic (PET) survey of the proposed rail link to be built by India.

The rail connectivity could in the future assist air connectivity for Indians in the northeast as well, as Bhutan plans to build an international airport at Gelephu as part of the larger Sarpang district Special Economic Zone, a new initiative is expected to be announced by the Bhutanese King on 17 December.

The Bhutanese King's vision for Gelephu and the special economic zone, which he initially broached with PM Modi during an April 2023 visit, aims to enhance employment and tourism prospects in Bhutan.

Moreover, both parties have concurred on exploring the possibility of creating a secondary railway connection spanning approximately 18 km, linking Samtse in Bhutan with the tea gardens area in Banarhat, West Bengal.