📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Shibangkp
National
Sikkim to Get First Railway Link as Sivok‑Rangpo Line Hits 75% Completion
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 06 Oct 2026, 02:31 PM
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The 44.5‑km Sivok‑Rangpo railway project, aimed at linking Sikkim to the national network, has reached 75 per cent progress, promising the state its inaugural train service.
The Ministry of Railways has reported that the 44.5‑kilometre Sivok‑Rangpo line, which will connect the town of Rangpo in Sikkim to the existing network at Sivok in West Bengal, is now 75 per cent complete. The project, part of the broader Northeast Frontier Railway expansion, involves tunnelling, bridge work and slope stabilization across rugged Himalayan terrain.
Construction teams say that major civil works, including several long tunnels and high bridges, are nearing completion, and the line is slated to be operational by the end of 2027. The progress update follows a series of land‑acquisition clearances and environmental clearances secured earlier this year.
If finished on schedule, the railway will give Sikkim its first direct rail link, reducing travel time to major metros such as Delhi and Kolkata and boosting tourism, trade and local employment. State officials have welcomed the development as a milestone for the region's integration with the rest of the country.
Construction teams say that major civil works, including several long tunnels and high bridges, are nearing completion, and the line is slated to be operational by the end of 2027. The progress update follows a series of land‑acquisition clearances and environmental clearances secured earlier this year.
If finished on schedule, the railway will give Sikkim its first direct rail link, reducing travel time to major metros such as Delhi and Kolkata and boosting tourism, trade and local employment. State officials have welcomed the development as a milestone for the region's integration with the rest of the country.