{"id":33096,"date":"2026-10-06T07:41:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T07:41:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=33096"},"modified":"2026-10-06T07:41:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T07:41:03","slug":"sikkim-to-get-train-connectivity-for-first-time-as-44-5-km-sivok-rangpo-project-reaches-75-progress-to-be-completed-by-december-2027-railways-fast-tracks-rs-9000-crore-gangtok-rail-link-as-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=33096","title":{"rendered":"Sikkim to get train connectivity for first time as 44.5-km Sivok-Rangpo project reaches 75% progress, to be completed by December 2027; railways fast-tracks Rs 9,000 crore Gangtok rail link as well"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134726660,imgsize-649734,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg\" alt=\"Sikkim to get train connectivity for first time as 44.5-km Sivok-Rangpo project reaches 75% progress, to be completed by December 2027; railways fast-tracks Rs 9,000 crore Gangtok rail link as well\" title=\"Indian Railways is working towards finishing the long-delayed Sivok-Rangpo railway project by December 2027. (Image for representative purpose only)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Indian Railways is working towards finishing the long-delayed Sivok-Rangpo railway project by December 2027. (Image for representative purpose only)\">Indian Railways is working towards finishing the long-delayed Sivok-Rangpo railway project by December 2027. (Image for representative purpose only)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sikkim is moving closer to being on the railway map and now <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/indian-railways\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indian Railways<\/a> is stepping up efforts to bring Sikkim\u2019s capital Gangtok onto the railway network by prioritising a proposed 34-km rail link between Rangpo and Gangtok. <!-- -->The project is estimated to cost around Rs 9,000 crore.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"5\"\/>The Rangpo-Gangtok line would serve as an extension of the railway network once the ongoing Sivok-Rangpo project, connecting Sivok in Darjeeling with Rangpo in East Sikkim, is completed.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"7\"\/>The proposed connection was taken up recently by the Integrated Multimodal Network Planning Group (NPG), the multi-modal evaluation body functioning under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"11\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Importance of Sivok-Rangpo and Rangpo-Gangtok lines<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>The move comes as the railways works towards finishing the long-delayed Sivok-Rangpo railway project by December 2027.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>Also Read | <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/business\/india-business\/second-vande-bharat-sleeper-set-to-launch-this-month-between-bengaluru-and-mumbai-cutting-travel-time-from-24-hours-to-under-16-hours-30-year-wait-for-faster-connectivity-between-two-cities-to-end\/articleshow\/134688702.cms\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Second Vande Bharat sleeper set to launch this month between Bengaluru and Mumbai; cutting travel time from 24 hours to under 16 hours, 30 year wait for faster connectivity between two cities to end<\/a><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/>The 44.5-km Sivok-Rangpo railway line is being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 17,124 crore and will provide Sikkim with its first direct railway connection. The project has been delayed by the difficult Himalayan terrain, which has necessitated the construction of multiple tunnels and major bridges.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"20\"\/>The railways has also been pursuing plans to connect the capitals of the north-eastern states by rail. Four state capitals in the region currently have railway connectivity.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"22\"\/>Once the Sivok-Rangpo line and the proposed Rangpo-Gangtok extension are completed, Sikkim will become the next state in the region to have rail connectivity to its capital.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/business\/india-business\/railways-fast-tracks-gangtok-link-as-sivok-rangpo-nears-completion\/articleshow\/134654426.cms\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Officials told TOI<\/a> that the Rangpo-Gangtok proposal is being assessed at this stage with the aim of ensuring that work on the next section can begin without a major gap once the Sivok-Rangpo line becomes operational.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/>The proposed extension is expected to make access to Gangtok easier while improving connectivity for passengers, tourism and goods movement.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>The Sivok-Rangpo project has so far achieved around 75% physical progress and is targeted for completion by the end of 2027. The railway section involves 14 tunnels and 13 major bridges.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"32\"\/>During a review of the Sivok-Rangpo project in 2021, PM Narendra Modi had directed the ministry to hold officials accountable for the delay.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/>The Sivok-Rangpo railway project has a total length of 44.96 km, of which 41.55 km falls in West Bengal and the remaining 3.41 km lies in Sikkim.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>Of the entire route, 38.623 km, or 86%, will run through tunnels. Another 2.24 km, which is around 5% of the alignment, comprises bridges, while the remaining 4.79 km, or 9%, involves open cutting and filling work for station yards.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"39\"\/>The New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) has been adopted for the tunnelling component of the project.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"42\"\/>The railway line will have 14 tunnels. The longest of these will measure 5.30 km, while the shortest will be 538 metres long. The project also includes 13 major bridges and 10 minor bridges.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"44\"\/>Five stations are planned along the route: Sivok, Riyang, Melli, Rangpo and one underground halt station at Teesta Bazar.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"47\"\/>The project is among the prestigious national projects currently under construction in India. Once completed, it will provide Sikkim with its first-ever railway connectivity.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"50\"\/>The railway link is also expected to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential commodities to Sikkim. Its completion will make it possible to introduce long-distance train services connecting the state with different parts of the country.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"52\"\/>Tourism and economic activity in Sikkim are also expected to receive a significant boost.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/business\/india-business\/sikkim-to-get-train-connectivity-for-first-time-as-44-5-km-sivok-rangpo-project-reaches-75-progress-to-be-completed-by-december-2027-railways-fast-tracks-rs-9000-crore-gangtok-rail-link-as-well\/articleshow\/134725767.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Indian Railways is working towards finishing the long-delayed Sivok-Rangpo railway project by December 2027. (Image for representative purpose only) Sikkim is moving closer to being on the railway map and now Indian Railways is stepping up efforts to bring Sikkim\u2019s capital Gangtok onto the railway network by prioritising a proposed 34-km rail link between Rangpo [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33097,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Indian Railways is working towards finishing the long-delayed Sivok-Rangpo railway project by December 2027. (Image for representative purpose only) Sikkim is moving closer to being on the railway map and now Indian Railways is stepping up efforts to bring Sikkim\u2019s capital Gangtok onto the railway network by prioritising a proposed 34-km rail link between Rangpo [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":3,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sikkim-rail-connectvity.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/33097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}