Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Sikkim’s first railway station at Rangpo. The Prime Minister emphasized that the design of the station will take inspiration from the rich culture, heritage and architecture of the Himalayan state. Rangpo Railway Station is one of the over 2,000 rail infrastructure projects worth about Rs 41,000 crore that the Prime Minister unveiled. did.
Importance of Rangpo Railway Station
- The laying of the foundation stone of Rangpo Railway Station is a historic and proud moment for Sikkim.
- Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya, who was present at the function held at Khanikola, Rangpo, highlighted the importance of the station in the context of ‘Vikit Bharat@2047’ and its potential to enhance the tourism sector by providing quick and convenient travel options.
Benefits during monsoon season
- It has been observed that when there is disruption on NH-10 during monsoon season, Railways gets a huge advantage. In such a time, Railways will prove to be a boon, which will increase connectivity and reliability for the people of Sikkim.
- Rangpo railway station will be a part of the 45 km long railway line under construction from Sevoke near Siliguri in West Bengal to Rangpo in Sikkim. The rail line will have 14 tunnels and 22 bridges.
Project Description and Timeline
- The Sevoke-Rangpo rail project was awarded to IRCON International in May 2010 at a cost of Rs 4,084.69 crore, with the original deadline of May 2015. However, the project has been delayed, and the revised completion date is now December 2024. The revised cost is Rs 12,474.07 crore.
Connecting Sikkim with Railways
- With the opening of Rangpo Railway Station, Sikkim will now be connected by a railway line, which will be the third mode of transportation for its residents, who were earlier dependent on air travel and roads.
- Alipurduar Deputy Railway Manager Amarjeet Aggarwal said the government has signed off on the project in three phases: Phase I from Sevoke to Rangpo Rail Project, Phase II from Rangpo to Gangtok and Phase III from Gangtok to Nathula.
Challenges and progress
- The Sevoke-Rangpo Railway Project, spanning 45 kilometres, has 14 tunnels, 13 major bridges and 9 minor bridges. 86% percent of the alignment is in tunnels, making the excavation process challenging due to the nature of the rocks.
- Despite these challenges, the project is 60% to 65% complete and track work is scheduled to begin next month. The project deadline has been extended to 2025 due to external factors such as floods and landslides.