Maligaon: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has completed the concrete lining of Tunnel No 14 of the Sivok-Rangpo railway project on May 15, an official release said on Tuesday.
“The completion of the final concrete lining is a marvellous achievement by the Engineers involved in this project,” said NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Sabyasachi De.
In March 2023, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the tunnel and appreciated the work.
Sikkim will be connected via railways for the first time upon the completion of the Sivok-Rangpo Railway project which is targeted to be completed by 2024.
The completion of the railway project will enhance the standard of socio-economic status of the state.
As per the official release, the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) has been adopted for the completion of the tunnel through challenging and vulnerable groundmass with the supervision of well-experienced engineers from India along with highly experienced foreign engineers in this project.
“The track linking works is going to start through this tunnel very soon. The Rangpo station situated just after Tunnel No T-14 is also under construction and on completion will be a commercial and tourism hub for the state of Sikkim,” the release further added.
“This tunnel is the gateway of the railway network to the state of Sikkim. The tunnel is about 1977 m long and is situated in the Rangpo Sub-Division of District Pakyong, Sikkim. It is located in between Kumrek and Khanikhola in East Sikkim region and traverses through challenging geological conditions of the Lesser Himalaya,” the NFR CPRO Sabyasachi De said.
Dear Reader,
Every day, our team at EastMojo travels through rain, rough roads, and remote hills to bring you stories that matter – stories from your town, your people, your Northeast.
We do this because we believe in truthful, independent journalism. No big corporate backing, no government pressure – just honest reporting by local journalists who live and breathe the same air you do.
But to keep doing this work, we need you. Your small contribution helps us pay our reporters fairly, reach places others ignore, and keep asking the tough questions.
If you believe the Northeast deserves its own fearless voice, stand with us.
Support independent journalism. Be a Member.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
“This New Rail Link Project from Sivok to Rangpo is about 45 km long and is characterised by 14 tunnels, 22 bridges and 5 stations including an underground station at Teesta Bazar and about 38 km of the entire project alignment is passing through tunnels. So far, about 76% of tunnelling work has already been completed,” De further added.
According to NFR, all the activities related to the construction of tunnels, bridges and stations on this project are in progress on a war-footing basis and are targeted to complete by December 2024.
Also Read | Meghalaya gets electric trains for first time