Bhubaneswar: The Railway Ministry has proposed a 40-kilometre underground rail corridor between Tin Mile Haat and Rangapani stations to strengthen passenger, freight, and defence logistics in the strategically sensitive Siliguri Corridor, officials said.
Under the proposal, railway tracks will be laid 22–24 metres underground, while existing surface infrastructure will be expanded to four lines, creating a six-line integrated rail network in the region. The move is aimed at ensuring uninterrupted connectivity through the narrow land stretch—often referred to as the “Chicken’s Neck”—which links India’s Northeast with the rest of the country.
The Siliguri Corridor spans barely 20–25 kilometres in width and is flanked by Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, while lying in close proximity to China, making it one of India’s most strategically vulnerable transit zones. The proposed underground alignment is expected to provide enhanced protection for civilian transport, freight movement, and defence logistics, including critical access routes to the Bagdogra airbase.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the proposal as a major strategic breakthrough, noting that vulnerabilities in the corridor have existed since the 1971 war. He said the underground rail project would significantly strengthen national security and logistics resilience in the region.
The proposal comes against the backdrop of a record ₹2.93 lakh crore railway budget, with substantial allocations aimed at expanding rail infrastructure in the North Eastern states. Officials said the enhanced funding reflects the Centre’s focus on both strategic preparedness and economic integration of the region.
If implemented, the project would mark one of India’s most ambitious railway engineering initiatives, combining infrastructure expansion with national security considerations in a geopolitically sensitive zone.
-OdishaAge
