North Eastern Railway Connectivity Project is an multi phased railway connectivity project in Northeast India which comprises states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura and it also includes the state of Sikkim. These states come under Northeast Frontier Railway Zone of Indian Railways. This Railway project is considered as strategically important for India because it connects all the border states in this region and also close to ASEAN countries.
The Government of India has planned and projected to connect all 8 capitals of North Eastern states by 2030est. [1] As of September 2025, 4 state capitals of Northeast India are connected with railways Currently the three state capitals Agartala in Tripura, Guwahati in Assam, Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, [2] and Aizawl in Mizoram state are linked with railways; the rail projects to connect remaining 4 state capitals of Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya states are underway.
The Northeast region is a strategically important area to counter China. These state are connected to India through the very narrow area of Siliguri Corridor. After China's claims over the Doklam area of Bhutan and India, it has become important for India to boost connectivity in this region. [3] [4]
The project PM Gati Shakti aims to boost connectivity across the country and to connect all the capitals of Indian states. [5] Especially this region is considered as Gateway to Southeast Asia. Thus strategic railway lines is important for this region.[ citation needed ] The region currently has 6,829 km of rail network, mostly in the state of Assam.
The railway will also be used to develop tourism in this region. [6] In 2023, various deluxe trains begans operations connecting major locations such as Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati (Assam), Kaziranga National Park in Assam, Unakoti in Tripura, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, and Dimapur in Nagaland. [7] [8]
See map of under-construction rail lines in Northeast India.
| Project | Location | States | Length (in Kilometre) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bairabi–Sairang line | From Bairabi, Kolasib district | Mizoram | 51.38 | [9] Already completed in September 2025. |
| Jiribam–Imphal line | From Jiribam, Jiribam district To Imphal, Imphal district | Manipur | 110.63 | [10] Likely completion by December 2026. |
| Tetelia-Byrnihat line | From Tetelia(Guwahati), Kamrup district To Byrnihat, Ri-Bhoi district | Assam and Meghalaya | 22 | [11] Likely completion by December 2026. |
| Sivok–Rangpo line | From Sivok, Darjeeling district(WB) To Rangpo, Pakyong district(SK) | West Bengal and Sikkim | 44.96 | [12] Likely completion by December 2027. |
| Dhansiri–Zubza line | From Dhansiri(Dimapur), Dimapur district | Nagaland | 82.5 | [13] Likely completion by December 2028. |
In Northeast India, the government is developing multiple railway projects to connect the region with the Trans-Asian Railway (TAR). A key project is the 118-km railway line from Imphal in Manipur to Moreh on the Myanmar border, aimed at improving access to the TAR. [18] Additionally, a route from Tripura to Bangladesh is proposed to enhance the region's integration into the TAR network. [22]
The Government of two countries signed MoU for railway project linking Akhaurah, Bangladesh and Agartala of Tripura, India. [22] The project is expected to be completed in mid-2023. [23] NFR also conducted surveys for Belonia-Chittagong rail link. [24]
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