Gangtok/Guwahati, Feb 18 (IANS) The vital railway project connecting West Bengal’s Sivok and Sikkim’s Rangpo is expected to be completed by December 2027, a senior Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official said on Tuesday.
NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that the 44.96 km long Sivok-Rangpo project, when completed, would facilitate the connection of Sikkim capital Gangtok with the rest of the country via West Bengal.
Rangpo in Sikkimg’s Pakyong is at a distance of 37 km from Gangtok, the CPRO told IANS, adding that the new railway line would also boost the Himalayan state’s tourism industry.
Sharma said that the 44.96-km-long Sivok-Rangpo new rail link project has 14 tunnels, 13 major bridges, nine minor bridges, and five stations.
The length of the longest tunnel (T-10) is 5.3 km and the length of the longest bridge (Br-17) is 425 metres.
As much as 38.65 km of the entire project alignment passes through tunnels.
According to the CPRO, the NFR, in collaboration with IRCON International Ltd, has achieved a significant milestone in the ongoing Sivok-Rangpo Railway Project. This landmark infrastructure initiative is poised to enhance connectivity between West Bengal and Sikkim, fostering economic growth and regional integration, the CPRO said.
He said that recently, the project has achieved a remarkable feat with the successful launching of two 69-meter-long Open Web girders for Bridge number 6. These girders, weighing a total of 810 metric tons (excluding the Launching Nose weight), were launched at a height of 40 metres using the advanced Launching Nose method. This method ensures precision and efficiency in constructing challenging bridge structures across difficult terrain.
As of today, 7 out of the 13 bridges planned for the project have been completed, with ongoing work progressing steadily on the remaining bridges.
The efforts of IRCON, under the guidance of the NFR, underscore a firm commitment to completing this project with efficiency and excellence. The NFR official said that the Sivok-Rangpo railway project is set to revolutionise rail connectivity to Sikkim, significantly reducing travel time, boosting tourism, and facilitating trade and commerce. This strategic infrastructure development will play a crucial role in improving socio-economic conditions, providing enhanced accessibility, and strengthening national integration.
The NFR, which operates in all the northeastern states as well as seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar, remains dedicated to the timely completion of this transformative project, ensuring that the benefits of improved rail infrastructure reach the people of West Bengal and Sikkim at the earliest, Sharma pointed out.
–IANS
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