Overview

• New Delhi announced two cross-border projects—Kokrajhar–Gelephu and Banarhat–Samtse—marking Bhutan’s first connection to the Indian Railways grid.
• Construction targets are about four years for Kokrajhar–Gelephu and three years for Banarhat–Samtse, with fully electrified tracks designed for Vande Bharat services and freight.
• Indian Railways will fund works on Indian territory, while Bhutan segments will be financed by India’s Ministry of External Affairs from the Rs 10,000 crore allocation for Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan.
• The alignment spans roughly 89 km, with only 2.39 km and 2.13 km inside Bhutan; plans include multiple stations, extensive bridges and underpasses, plus safeguards for elephants and flood resilience.
• Officials say the links will bolster Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City and Samtse’s industrial hub, expanding access to BBIN corridors and Indian ports, as reported cost totals vary between about Rs 4,033 crore and Rs 4,600 crore.