WEST BENGAL (Metro Rail News): The inspection drive for the ongoing Sivok-Rangpo Rail Project (SRRP) was carried out by Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Railway Board, on April 6th. Progress of the project was reviewed meticulously by Sinha in the presence of Satish Kumar Pandey, General Manager/N. F. Railway/Construction, and Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, General Manager of Northeast Frontier Railway, along with other senior officials of railway and construction.
The Sivok—Rangpo New Rail Line Project is a continuing national endeavour in India with the objective of linking Sikkim’s current reliance on road connectivity to the country’s railway network.
Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northeast Frontier Railway, underscored the transformative potential of the project. He emphasised that the Chairperson Railway Board and CEO evaluated the progress of the work, inspecting the lining of Tunnel No. T-1 & T-8. They also inspected Tunnel No. T-7. Notably, the first underground Railway Station within the Indian Railways network, Teesta Bazar Station, falls under this tunnel, marking a pioneering step in advancing Railway infrastructure in the country.
He further highlighted that the officials assessed the construction progress of Teesta Bridge & Sivok Station. Subsequently, they engaged in a brief discussion with the officials of the Indian Railway Construction Organization (IRCON) regarding all aspects of the Sivok-Rangpo New Rail Project.
Salient Features of the Sivok-Rangpo Rail Project
- Total length: 44.98 kmÂ
- States Covered:Â
(i) West Bengal = 41.548 km
(ii) Sikkim = 3.432 km
- Total Number of Stations (including Sivok): 05 (Riyang, Tista Bazar, Melli, Rangpo)Â
- Total Number of bridges: 22
- Important bridges: 03Â
- Major bridges: 13Â
- Road-Over-Bridges: 02Â
- Number of Tunnels: 14Â
- Total Length of Tunnel: 38.552 kmÂ
- Length of longest Tunnel: 5270 mÂ
- Length of shortest Tunnel: 538 mÂ
- Max. Distance between crossing: 17.323 km (Melli – Rangpo)
More about the Project
The Sivok-Rangpo New Rail Line Project branches out from the New Jalpaiguri-Alipurduar-Samuktala Road line at Sivok railway station and runs through villages and towns of Kalimpong district of West Bengal and Pakyong District of Sikkim. The line passes through Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, River Teesta, and River Rangpo and is expected to provide overall development for the state of Sikkim. The line is expected to provide a major boost to connectivity for the land-locked state of Sikkim.
The Sivok-Rangpo railway line project, linking the Indian states of West Bengal and Sikkim, commenced in 2009. The foundation stone was laid in Sivok, West Bengal, by the Minister of Railways and in Rangpo, Sikkim, by the Vice President of India on October 30, 2009.
The project was first awarded in May 2010 for Rs 4,084.69 crore to IRCON International, and the original deadline was May 2015. However, due to various reasons, such as delays in forest land division falling in West Bengal, permission for conducting a survey in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, a process involving diversion of forest land, and COVID-19, the project has been delayed. The revised date for the completion of the Sivok-Rangpo rail project is December 2024, with a revised cost, including escalation, of Rs 12,474.07 crore.
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