Rangpo to get North East India’s first Vande Bharat train by Dec 2024
And the rail line is not ending at Rangpo with the Railways ministry setting an ambitious extension up to State capital Gangtok in the second phase.
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Gangtok, Mar 7: Vande Bharat Express, the showpiece train of Indian Railways, would be speeding to the border town of Rangpo by Dec 2024 upon commissioning of the challenging Sevoke-Rangpo railway project.
And the rail line is not ending at Rangpo with the Railways ministry setting an ambitious extension up to State capital Gangtok in the second phase. Nathu La, the international border with China, also features in the future expansion plans of the Indian Railways, as shared to media and the Sikkim government on Monday (Mar 6) by Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw here at Samman Bhawan.
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“The Sikkim railway project from Sevoke terminal in North Bengal to Rangpo is a very difficult project due to tunnels and bridges in a Himalayan terrain but is progressing very well. Our commitment to the people of Sikkim is that by Dec 2024, Vande Bharat train will come to Rangpo,” said the Railway minister. Vaishnaw was addressing a brief function here at Samman Bhawan attended by ministers KN Lepcha, BS Panth, MN Sherpa and Lok Nath Sharma, and senior officials of the Sikkim government.
The Union minister had reached Gangtok Sunday (Mar 5) evening for a three-day visit. Enroute to Gangtok, he along with Railway officials inspected the progress of the Sevoke-Rangpo railway project which includes multiple tunnels and bridges. The Sikkim rail link from Sevoke to Rangpo spans about 45 km with 14 tunnels, 22 bridges and five railway stations.
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