There is no rail transport in Bhutan.
Bhutan and India signed a memorandum of understanding in January 2005 to connect Bhutan with the Indian Railways network with 5 new routes in Bhutan. [1] [2] Additionally, the Indian Military has also identified more routes to complement the India-China Border Roads (ICBR) and negate the Siliguri Corridor's geostrategic vulnerability, all of which will be 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge.
Note: Rail lines listed west to east.
Route | Length (km) | Future Extensions | Operational (date) | Major tunnels # & names | Major bridges # & names | Conceived by | Status/Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gangtok-Nathang-Haa-Paro-Thimphu line | Ext-1: Yongphulla Airport-Bathpalathang Airport-Lingmethang(Mongar)-Thimphu-Paro International Airport line. Also see Ext-3 for Paro-Doklam-Lingzhi Yügyal Dzong connection. | N (2027?) | Indian Military | Gangtok-Nathang-Haa-Paro International Airport-Thimphu. [3] | |||
Banarhat–Samtse line | 18 km | Ext-2: Samtse-Nathu La line | N (2025?) | 2005 Indo-Bhutan MoU | Banarhat–Samtse. [4] [2] | ||
Hasimara–Pasakha-Phuentsholing line | 18 km | Ext-3: Phuentsholing-Paro International Airport-Doklam-Lingzhi Yügyal Dzong line. | N (2025?) | 2005 Indo-Bhutan MoU | Hasimara Airforce Station–Pasakha-Phuentsholing. This line has the first priority to be constructed due to high passenger and goods transportation. [5] [2] | ||
Kokrajhar–Gelephu line (Gelephu Airport) | 70 km | N (2025?) | 2005 Indo-Bhutan MoU | Kokrajhar of New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section –Gelephu. [2] survey completed in April 2023 and construction will be completed by 2026 (aug 2023 update). [6] | |||
Pathsala–Naglam line | 40 km | Ext-4: Naglam-Lingmethang(Mongar)-Lhuntse-Rinchen Bumpa line with spur to Trashiyangtse in northeast. Also see Ext-1 for connection in east to Yongphulla Airport (& Lumla-Tawang). | N (2025?) | 2005 Indo-Bhutan MoU | Pathsala–Naglam. [2] | ||
Rangla–Darranga–Samdrup Jongkhar line | 60 km | N (2025?) | 2005 Indo-Bhutan MoU | Rangla–Darranga–Samdrup Jongkhar. [2] | |||
Tawang-Trashigang-Yongphulla line | See Ext-1 (Thimphu-Tawang). | N (2027?) | Indian Military | Tawang-Lumla-Trashigang-Yongphulla Airport. [3] |
Transport in India consists of transport by land, water and air. Road transport is the primary mode of transport for most Indian citizens, and India's road transport systems are among the most heavily used in the world.
Transport in Bhutan uses about 8,000 kilometres (5,000 mi) of roads and four airports, three of which are operational and interconnected. Paro Airport is the only airport which accommodates international flights. As part of Bhutan's infrastructure modernization programs, its road system has been under development since the 1960s. There are no railways, and as Bhutan is a landlocked country with no major waterways, there are no ports.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the DHR or the Toy Train, is a 610 mm gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal. Built between 1879 and 1881, it is about 88 km (55 mi) long. It climbs from about 100 m (330 ft) above sea level at New Jalpaiguri to about 2,200 m (7,200 ft) at Darjeeling, using six zig zags and three loops to gain altitude. Ghum station is situated at an altitude of 2,258 metres (7,407 ft). Six diesel locomotives handle most of the scheduled service, with daily tourist trains from Darjeeling to Ghum – India's highest railway station – and the steam-hauled Red Panda service from Darjeeling to Kurseong. Steam-enthusiast specials are hauled by vintage British-built B-Class steam locomotives. The railway's headquarters are at Kurseong.
Siliguri, also known as Shiliguri, is a major tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms "Twin Cities" with the neighbouring district headquarter of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. Known as the "Gateway of Northeast India", Siliguri is popular for three Ts: Tea, Timber and Tourism. It is located on the banks of the Mahananda and the Teesta River in the foothills of the Himalayas. Siliguri is the third largest urban agglomeration in West Bengal, after Kolkata and Asansol.
The Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken's Neck, is a stretch of land around the city of Siliguri in West Bengal, India. 20–22 kilometres (12–14 mi) at the narrowest section, this geo-political and geo-economical corridor connects the seven states of northeast India to the rest of the India. The countries of Nepal and Bangladesh lie on each side of the corridor and the Kingdom of Bhutan lies at the northern end of the corridor. The Kingdom of Sikkim formerly lay on the northern side of the corridor, until its merging with India in 1975.
Bagdogra Airport is a customs airport serving the city of Siliguri in West Bengal, India. It is located in Bagdogra, 12 km (7.5 mi) south-west from the city centre. It is operated as a civil enclave at Bagdogra Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force. It is the gateway to the hill stations of Darjeeling, Gangtok, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik and other parts of North Bengal region. Siliguri, being a major transport and economic hub, the airport sees thousands of travellers and tourists annually. The Government of India conferred limited international airport status to the airport in 2002 with limited international operations to Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi and Paro. This is the second busiest airport in West Bengal.
New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station established in 1960, is an A1 category broad-gauge and narrow-gauge railway station under Katihar railway division of Northeast Frontier Railway zone. It is the largest and the busiest railway junction of northern Bengal. This junction is largest among the railway stations which serve the city of Siliguri, the largest metropolis of the North Bengal. The other stations are- Siliguri Junction, Gulma, Bagdogra, Matigara, Rangapani and Siliguri Town. New Jalpaiguri junction ranked 10th cleanest railway station in India in 2016 survey and came among the top 100 booking stations of Indian railway. New Jalpaiguri, as a railway station serves as the entry point to North Bengal, Sikkim, other countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the seven northeastern states. New Jalpaiguri Junction acts as a connecting base of railways for the northeastern states to the Indian mainland.
Transport in Darjeeling consists of the intra-city transport and the communication between the city and other locations in Darjeeling district. Darjeeling is a hill station in the Indian state of West Bengal and it is the headquarters of Darjeeling district situated in the Mahabharat Range at an average elevation of 2,134 m above sea level.
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region is a Government of India ministry, established in September 2001, which functions as the nodal Department of the Central Government to deal with matters related to the socio-economic development of the eight States of Northeast India: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. It acts as a facilitator between the Central Ministries/ Departments and the State Governments of the North Eastern Region in the economic development including removal of infrastructural bottlenecks, provision of basic minimum services, creating an environment for private investment and to remove impediments to lasting peace and security in the North Eastern Region.
Chabahar Port is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman. It serves as Iran's only oceanic port, and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti, each of which has five berths. It is only about 170 kilometres west of the Pakistani port of Gwadar.
Expressways are the highest class of roads in India. In July 2023, the total length of expressways in India was 5,930 km (3,680 mi), with 11,127.69 km (6,914.43 mi) under construction. These are controlled-access highways designed for high vehicular movement with speed limit of 120 km/h and entrance and exits are controlled by grade separated system interchanges whereas National highways are flyover access or tolled, where entrance and exit are done by service interchanges, flyovers are provided to bypass the city/town/village traffic and these highways are designed for speed of 100 km/h. Some roads are not access-controlled expressways but are still named expressways, such as the Bagodara–Tarapur Expressway, Biju Expressway, these are actually state highways that are not declared by the central government as an Expressway, hence not an Expressway or National Highway.
Indian Railways operates India's railway system and comes under the purview of the Ministry of Railways of Government of India. As of 2023, it maintains over 108,706 km (67,547 mi) of tracks and operates over 13,000 trains daily. According to the Ministry of Railways, a route capable of supporting trains operating at more than 160 km/h (100 mph) is considered as a higher speed or semi-high speed rail line.
Banglabandha is a major inland port in northern Bangladesh established to provide a trade link with India, Nepal and Bhutan. The three nations are separated by 52 km (32 mi) of Indian territory, known as the Siliguri Corridor. On the Indian side of the border is Phulbari. Border crossing of vehicles between Phulbari and Banglabandha was inaugurated in January 2011.
The Bhoj Metro is an under construction rapid transit system intended to serve the city of Bhopal, India, the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The total system consists of 6 corridors covering a distance of 104.87 kilometres (65.16 mi). The first phase of the Bhopal Metro project consists of 28 km (17.40 mi) of line 2 & 5 being under construction. This project will cost ₹80 billion (US$960 million) approximately. There will be three types of run – on road, on bridges, and underground in some locations.
Chilahati is a border railway station in Bangladesh, situated in Nilphamari District, in Rangpur Division. It is an active railway transit point on the Bangladesh-India border.
Haldibari Railway Station serves Haldibari town in Cooch Behar district of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is an active railway transit point on the Bangladesh–India border. Important trains like New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka Cantonment-New Jalpaiguri Mitali Express runs through Haldibari and Kolkata-Haldibari-Kolkata Tri-Weekly Intercity Express, Sealdah-Haldibari-Sealdah Darjeeling Mail originate and terminate at Haldibari Railway Station.
The Tenzing Norgay Central Bus Terminus is one of the largest and most important bus terminals in North Bengal. It is located on Hill Cart Road, Siliguri, District Darjeeling, adjacent to the Siliguri Junction railway station, about 6 kilometers from New Jalpaiguri Railway Station. Both state owned North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) buses and private buses ply from here. The terminus is named after Nepali mountaineer Tenzing Norgay who was a resident of the Darjeeling District and was one of the two mountaineers to have reached the summit of Mount Everest for the first time in histor.
Maitri Setu is a 1.9-kilometre (1.2 mi) bridge on Feni River which links Sabroom in Tripura, India and Ramgarh in Chittagong, Bangladesh leading to Chittagong port, thus providing a shorter and more economical alternate land route between India's eastern and western states compared to the longer route through Assam. On 9 March 2021, it was officially opened to public by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The dedicated freight corridors in India are a network of electric broad gauge freight railway lines that solely serve freight trains, thus making the freight service in India faster and efficient. The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) a public sector company is responsible for undertaking planning, development, mobilisation of financial resources and construction, maintenance and operation of these corridors.
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.