Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) achieved a major milestone in the Sivok-Rangpo Railway Project with the successful breakthrough of Tunnel No. 8 on March 12, 2026.
The breakthrough was achieved jointly by NFR and IRCON International Ltd., marking significant progress in this strategically important rail connectivity project for the NE region.
Tunnel No. 8 is one of the major tunnels of the project, with a total length of 4.148 km and an additional adit (passage) of 1.010 km. With the successful breakthrough of Tunnel No. 8, tunnel excavation has now been completed in 13 out of the total 14 tunnels of the Sivok-Rangpo project.
Significant progress has also been made in other major components of the project. Tunnel lining works, covering a total length of 32.4 km, have already been completed in 12 tunnels. In addition, ballastless track laying has been completed over 21 km inside the tunnels, further advancing the project towards operational readiness.
The Sivok-Rangpo new rail link project is one of the crucial connectivity projects for the north eastern (NE) region. It connects Sikkim with the Indian Railways’ (IR) network.
The total length of the project is 44.96 km, out of which 41.55 km lies in West Bengal and 3.41 km in Sikkim. About 38.623 km (around 86%) of the route runs through tunnels, 2.24 km through bridges, and 4.79 km consists of open cutting and station yards.
Construction work involves 14 tunnels, with the longest tunnel measuring about 5.30 km and the shortest around 538 metres. The project also includes 13 major bridges and 10 minor bridges. The new railway line will have five stations i.e. Sivok, Riyang, Melli, Rangpo, and an underground halt station at Teesta Bazar.
Construction activities across all fronts are progressing steadily, including civil works, track installation and railway electrification. NFR’s target for completion of remaining works and commissioning of the project is December 2027.
Once completed, the project will connect Sikkim significantly improve transportation, ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities, and boosting economic development in the region.
