India is improving its rail ties with nearby nations like Bhutan and Myanmar. Assam and Mizoram will be crossed by the new rail routes, which will allow for train connections between Southeast Asia and the Northeast.
One of the main goals of New Delhi’s Act East Policy is to improve border linkages via railroads. Rail connections between Tripura and Bangladesh already exist, and the addition of these linkages to Bhutan and Myanmar will improve connectivity throughout the area.
Northeast Frontier Railway’s CPRO, Sabyasachi De, stated that their primary focus is on border regions, particularly those along the Indo-China border. Additionally, they are attempting to use the Imphal-Moreh railway route to connect Myanmar. The Kaladan Multimodal Project’s train link from Mizoram to Sairang-Hbichhuah has received approval.
The Kokrajhar-Gelephu railway line, which connects Bhutan, is also under construction. The railway connecting India and Bangladesh, the Agartala-Akhaura project, is nearly completed.
These cross-border initiatives seek to increase connection and trade with nearby nations. The inactive Mahisasan railway station might be a key factor in the development of the Northeastern region and in boosting transit and trade with Bangladesh.
The railway representative mentioned that the Northeast would soon have its first cross-border international rail connectivity. The government has set aside a substantial sum of money, Rs. 1.20 lakh crore, to build rail infrastructure in the region’s hilly and border districts.
The Northeast is concentrating on connecting its state capitals, including Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland, in addition to the linkages to Bhutan and Myanmar. Several projects are underway including extending railway lines to previously unconnected areas.
