India to extend its Railway Grid to Bhutan/Kokrajhar (Assam)-Gelephu (Bhutan)

India to extend its Railway Grid to Bhutan:
About the Project:
Recently , the Centre announced two railway projects to connect Bhutan with the bordering areas of Assam and West Bengal. The 69-km Kokrajhar (Assam)-Gelephu (Bhutan) and 20-km Banarhat (West Bengal)-Samtse (Bhutan) lines .

The Two New Rail Links:

Kokrajhar-Gelephu Line: This 69-km line will connect Bhutan’s Samdrup Jongkhar district and India’s Kokrajhar district in Assam.
The Bhutanese side is 23.9 km, and the Indian side is 45.1 km.
Banarhat-Samtse Line: This 20-km line will connect Bhutan’s Samtse district with India’s Alipurduar district in West Bengal.

What Led to the Projects?
The roots of the projects go back to 2005, when Narabhai (Rathwa), then Minister of State for Railways, and Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, then Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bhutan, signed an MoU for the establishment of five railway links between the bordering towns of India and Bhutan.
How this will help the Nation?

Strengthening Ties: The railway projects are expected to strengthen ties between Bhutan and India, and increase trade amid China’s dominance in the region.
Economic Boost: Gelephu and Samtse are major export-import hubs in Bhutan and serve the 700-km-long India-Bhutan border.
Development: Gelephu is being developed as “Mindfulness City,” and Samtse is being developed as an industrial town by Bhutan.
Land Acquisition: Once land acquisition is complete, the project will begin in the fiscal year 2025-26.

About The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR):

• It  is an Indian Railways zone headquartered in Maligaon, Guwahati, Assam, responsible for the operation and expansion of the rail network in India’s northeastern states, as well as in parts of eastern Bihar and northern West Bengal.
• Formed in 1958 after a bifurcation from the North Eastern Railway, NFR is divided into five divisions: Alipurduar, Katihar, Lumding, Rangiya, and Tinsukia.
• The zone is also a major player in sustainable energy, with significant progress in railway line electrification and the use of solar power for its facilities.