PM Modi to lay foundation stone for Sikkim's first railway station | Details here
Sikkim's introduction to railway connectivity marks the third mode of transportation for its residents, who have relied on roads and air travel thus far.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually lay the foundation stone for Sikkim's first railway station, Rangpo Station, on Monday, ANI reported, quoting an official.
Deputy railway manager of Alipurduar Amarjeet Agrawal said, “Rangpo station is the form of a touristic and defensive point of view for Sikkim and India, Basically, Sikkim did not have a railway line earlier. The government has signed this project in three phases. In the first phase, Sevoke to the Rangpo rail project; in the other phase, from Rangpo to Gangtok; and the third phase, from Gangtok to Nathula.”
Also Read | Watch: Modi sits in dhyan underwater, offers morpankh at submerged Dwarka, ‘More than courage…’
Agrawal further mentioned that Sikkim's introduction to railway connectivity marks the third mode of transportation for its residents, who have relied on roads and air travel thus far. Initially slated for completion by 2024, unforeseen challenges such as floods and landslides have pushed the project's deadline to 2025.
A video shared by news agency ANI showcased the ongoing construction of Sikkim's inaugural railway project, highlighting the tunnel aspect of the endeavour.
Sikkim stands out as the sole Indian state without a railway station, lacking connection to the national rail network. Instead, it relies on road connections to neighbouring states and cities, primarily through NH10, facilitating transportation across the country.
Sivok-Rangpo railway project
-The project's foundation stone was laid in West Bengal's Sivok, by the minister of railways and in Sikkim's Rangpo by the Vice President of India on October 30, 2009.
-Of the total 44.96 km length, 38.65 km (86%) comprises tunnels, 2.24 km (5%) bridges, and 4.79 km (9%) open cutting/filling of station yards. The project director stated completion is at 60-65%, with track work starting next month. The line includes 14 tunnels, the longest at 5.30 km and the shortest at 538 meters.
-The proposed railway line will have five stations, including Sivok and Rangpo, with four open crossing stations (Sivok, Riyang, Melli, Rangpo) and one underground halt station (Teesta Bazar).
-The tunnelling, accounting for 86% of the total length, is carried out using the latest NATM (New Austrian Tunnelling Method) technique.
-Project director Mohinder Singh said, “Sevoke is the alignment of the Assam link project. This is 26 km away from Siliguri railway station. After this project, we are upgrading the Sevoke station. The Sevoke-Rangpo project is a 45-kilometer-long rail project. Out of forty-five km, three and a half km is part of Sikkim state and forty-one and a half km is part of West Bengal.”
India's first underground railway station
In the Sivok-Rangpo railway project, construction is underway for India's inaugural underground railway station, set to be the country's first of its kind.
The project director said, "Teesta Bazar station could be an underground railway station. This comes between the Sevoke to Rangpo rail projects. The length of the platform of this station is six hundred and twenty metres, on which we could stand a full-length train, we have six excess tunnels for emergency purposes to evacuation.
"In the Indian Railway, especially in broad gauge, this is the first underground railway station. This station is very relevant, because, Teesta Bazar connects Darjeeling to Gangtok so it could be convenient for the passengers who want to go to Darjeeling or Gangtok", the Project director added.