The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned a new 17-km railway line from Khunia More near Chalsa to Jaldhaka in North Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs 272 crore to improve connectivity to the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction and promote tourism in the Dooars region.
Announcing the project, Siliguri MP Raju Bista said the new line will pass through the Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong forest divisions.
He said the railway line will improve connectivity to the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction and boost tourism in the Jaldhaka, Bindu and Todey Tangta areas. A joint survey by the Railways and the West Bengal Forest Department is scheduled to begin after the monsoon.
The Jaldhaka River originates from Kupup Lake near the Jelep La Pass in Sikkim and flows through India, Bhutan and Bangladesh before joining the Brahmaputra.
Bista thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for according priority to infrastructure development in the region.
Railway officials said the project is expected to improve connectivity to remote border areas, facilitate tourism and strengthen strategic infrastructure. Survey work for the proposed line will begin after the monsoon season.
The project comes amid India's continued efforts to strengthen infrastructure in strategically important border areas. The region is close to Doklam, where Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a 73-day military standoff in 2017 after India intervened to stop Chinese road construction in territory claimed by Bhutan.
The proposed railway line is also part of broader plans to improve connectivity in the eastern Himalayan region. The Sivok-Rangpo railway project is planned to be extended to Nathu La Pass, making it another key rail link to India's sensitive border with China.