17-km Railway To Boost Connectivity To India China Bhutan Tri-Junction

07 Aug 2026 CW Team

The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned Rs 2.72 billion (Rs 2.72 bn) for a new 17 km line to Jaldhaka in North Bengal. The route is planned from Khunia More near Chalsa and will pass through Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong forest divisions. The project aims to improve connectivity to the border close to the India China Bhutan tri-junction and to boost tourism in the Dooars region.

The Siliguri member of parliament said on social media that the line will originate at Khunia More near Chalsa and that the railways would carry out a joint survey with the West Bengal forest department after the monsoon for the proposed alignment. He expressed gratitude to national and state leaders for prioritising modern infrastructure in the region.

The Jaldhaka River, a transboundary watercourse, flows through Sikkim and West Bengal in India and then into Bhutan and Bangladesh after covering between 186 and 233 km. The river originates from Kupup Lake near the Jelep La pass and ultimately links to the Brahmaputra basin. A rail alignment along the river is strategically significant because the lake lies close to the Doklam tri-junction border area.

Railway officials said the proposed line is expected to serve multiple objectives by improving access to remote border areas, facilitating tourism and strengthening strategic infrastructure, and surveys are planned to begin after the monsoon. The announcement forms part of wider planning that includes a proposed 200 km strategic line from Chalsa toward the border and potential extensions of the Sivok Rangpo project toward Nathu La. The region remains sensitive after the 2017 Doklam standoff and authorities are consolidating transport links amid continuing infrastructure activity on the opposite side of the frontier.

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