GANGTOK, Sikkim: The Ministry of Railways, Government of India, has recently informed that the construction work is in full swing on the 44.96 km long Sivok-Rangpo Railway line, which will connect Sikkim to the rest of India.
Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railway, Government of India, informed the Lok Sabha about the Sivok-Rangpo Railway Line Project, which was tabled in the Budget 2008-09. Goyal said that out of a total length of 44.96 km, 41.55 km of railway line lie in the state of West Bengal, while the remaining 3.41 km falls in Sikkim. The estimated cost of the project stands at Rs 4,085 crores.
The Sivok-Rangpo Railway Line Project consists of 14 tunnels. The longest tunnels stretch up to 5.27 km, while the smallest one is 538 meters long. The Ministry has informed that 45 per cent of the mining work has been completed under the railway line project. Sivok-Rangpo Railway Line will have five railway stations Sivok, Riyang Melli, Rangpo and Teesta Bazar.
Additionally, the ministry has conveyed that under the Mission Raftaar, construction work is in progress on the third railway line that will run between Mathura and Jhansi, which stretches up to 273 km. The project was approved by the Railway Board and will cost approximately Rs 3677.76 crores. After completion of the project, trains will be able to accelerate to 150 km per hour or more on this route.
Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a PSU of the Ministry of Railway is the nodal agency for the construction of the third line of Mathura-Jhansi section.