Centre approves final survey for new railway line bringing Sikkim closer to national network
NEW DELHI: In a landmark move that brings Sikkim one step closer to realising its long-cherished dream of rail connectivity, the Ministry of Railways has approved the Final Location Survey (FLS) for a new railway line from Melli to Dentam via Jorethang and Legship.
The ambitious project, set to be executed by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), has been allocated a sanctioned budget of around Rs 2.25 crore.
Sharing the update with this the TNIE, ED (I&P) at Railway Ministry, Dileep Kumar on Sunday said, 'This move marks a major step forward in expanding rail connectivity to the southern and western regions of Sikkim'.
Highlighting the strategic significance of what would be Sikkim's second railway line, Kumar added that the rail route is designed to bridge a crucial infrastructure gap linking remote areas such as Dentam, located near the Indo-Nepal border at Chiwabhanjyang, with the national railway network.
Kumar further said that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has personally directed the initiation of the survey and expedited the process to bring this long-pending demand closer to reality. The push for this line has been a consistent effort by Sikkim's Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba, and the Modi government's approval of the survey has added a pace forward on this project.
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