India and Bhutan will establish two cross-border railway links covering a distance of 89 km at an estimated cost of Rs4,300 crore. This will link Banarhat (West Bengal) to Samtse and Kokrajhar (Assam) to Gelephu and is targeted to be completed within four years.
“This milestone will unlock new economic opportunities, strengthen connectivity and deepen India-Bhutan ties,’’ says Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Bhutanese Foreign Secretary Pema Choden and Chairman of Railway Board Satish Kumar for the establishment of railway links between India and Bhutan.
“India and Bhutan share a relationship of exceptional trust, mutual respect, and understanding,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, adding that this relationship was rooted in cultural and civilizational ties, extensive people-to-people relations, and shared developmental and security interests. The 69-km Kokrajhar (Assam)-Gelephu (Bhutan) and 20-km Banarhat (West Bengal)-Samtse (Bhutan) will cost Rs3,456 crore and Rs577 crore, respectively.
At present, Bhutan does not have a railway network. The Gelephu and Samtse line will be the first such project. It is the result of almost two decades of efforts made by both nations to finally pave the way for these two strategic projects to take off.
Interestingly, the idea of connecting the two nations was thought of nearly two decades back, when an MoU was signed between Bhutan and India in 2005 between Naranbhai J. Rathwa, then-Minister of State for Railways and Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, then-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bhutan, who later became the Prime Minister. The MoU spoke about the establishment of a total of five links between the bordering towns of India and Bhutan.
These lines are namely Hasimara (West Bengal)-Phuentsholing (18 km) and bifurcation to Pasakha; Kokrajhar (Assam)-Gelephu (69 km); Pathsala (Assam)-Nanglam (40 km); Rangia (Assam)-Samdrupjongkhar via Darranga (60 km) and Banarhat (West Bengal) – Samtse (20 km).
Out of the five proposed lines, these two projects finally made a headway after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bhutan in March 2024. Both sides initiated the text of the MoU on the establishment of the Kokrajhar-Gelephu and 20-km Banarhat-Samtse rail link and their implementation modalities.
In the Samtse line, Bhutanese side is about 2.13 km and the Indian side is about 17.42 km. Whereas, in the case of the Gelephu line, Bhutanese side is 2.39 km and the Indian side is 66.66 km.
According to reports, the Bhutanese government had requested India to provide a clear construction timeline.
Meanwhile, the Kokrajhar-Gelephu new line will directly connect Bhutan’s Sarpag district and India’s Kokrajhar and Chirang districts in Assam. It will have six stations, namely Balagaon, Garubhasa, Runikhata, Shantipur, Dadgiri and Gelephu.
The project will have two important bridges, two viaducts, 29 major bridges, 65 minor bridges, two goods sheds, one overpass and 39 underpasses. The construction period is four years.
Similarly, the second project will connect Bhutan’s Samtse district with India’s Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal. It will have two stations, Ambari and Samtse. Apart from this, the project will get one major bridge, 24 minor bridges, one overpass and 37 underpasses. The construction period of the Samtse line will be three years. The construction is expected to begin during FY25-26. However, it will largely depend on how quickly land acquisition is being done.
Exports from Bhutan
Gelephu and Samtse are the major export-import hubs in Bhutan and serve the 700-km-long India-Bhutan border. Gelephu is being developed as ‘Mindfulness City’ and Samtse is being developed as an industrial town by the Government of Bhutan. Some of the potential exports from Bhutan to India from this area will involve dolomite, ferro-silicon, quartzite and stone chips. The train line will be for both cargo and passenger movement.
Located in Bhutan’s southern plains bordering Assam, Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) is one of the most ambitious projects envisioned by Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The project was launched in December 2023 on Bhutan’s 116 National Day. It is being developed as an autonomous region in the Kingdom of Bhutan with executive and legislative powers, and an independent judiciary. The whole region is spread over 2,600 sq km or 5 per cent of Bhutan.
India is Bhutan’s top trading partner, as the principal source of imports and the principal destination of their exports. It accounts for nearly 80 per cent of Bhutan’s total trade. The 2016 bilateral agreement on trade, commerce, and transit establishes a free trade agreement between Bhutan and India, and also provides Bhutan duty-free transit for goods from and to third countries.
IndiaBhutan rail connectivity projects
Kokrajhar (India)-Gelephu (Bhutan) New line (69 km)
Rs3,456 crore
Banarhat (India)-Samtse (Bhutan) New line (20 km)
Rs577 crore