Parliament Question: Sevoke-Rangpo Railway Project

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3059 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026 SEVOKE-RANGPO RAILWAY PROJECT 3059. SHRI RAJU BISTA: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) the current status/completion stage of the Sevoke Rangpo Railway Project including the expected date of its completion; (b) whether any feasibility studies/surveys/proposals have been undertaken by the Railways for providing rail connectivity from the Sevoke Rangpo stations to Gangtok, Kalimpong and Darjeeling and if so, the details and present status thereof; and (c) the details of the amount of funds incurred on the Sevoke Rangpo Railway Project till date and the estimated total cost of the project upon completion? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW) (a) to (c): Ministry of Railway has taken up the work of Sevoke-Rangpo (44 Km.) new line project to connect Sikkim. The latest estimated cost of the project is ₹11,973 crore. An expenditure of ₹8,358 crore has been incurred upto March, 2025, with an outlay of ₹2,940 crore for the year 2025-26. Sevoke-Rangpo project is one of the most difficult railway projects as the terrain passes through young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. This section predominantly involves tunnelling of 39 Km length (14 tunnels). §Status of Tunnels: Sr. Tunnel No Length(km) Between Status No Stations 1 T-1 4.2 Sivok-Riyang Completed 2 T-2 0.9 Sivok-Riyang Completed 3 T-3 1.2 Sivok-Riyang Completed 4 T-4 3.9 Sivok-Riyang Completed 5 T-5 2.1 Sivok-Riyang Completed 6 T-6 3.9 Riyang- Completed Rangpo 7 T-7 3.1 Riyang- Completed Rangpo 8 T-8 4.1 Riyang- Work taken up Rangpo 9 T-9 0.5 Riyang-Melli Completed 10 T-10 5.3 Melli-Rangpo Work taken up 11 T-11 3.2 Riyang- Completed Rangpo 12 T-12 1.4 Riyang- Completed Rangpo 13 T-13 2.6 Riyang- Completed Rangpo 14 T-14 1.9 Melli-Rangpo Completed Status of Major Bridges: Sr Bridge No(River Length(m) Between Status No Name) Stations 1 Br-02(Andheri Jhora) 174.6 Sivok- Completed Riyang2 Br-03(Kali-Jhora) 369.4 Sivok- Completed Riyang 3 Br-04(Sweti-Jhora) 70.1 Sivok- Completed Riyang 4 Br-05(Riyang-Khola) 61 Sivok- Completed Riyang 5 Br-06(Rambi-Khola) 138 Sivok- Completed Riyang 6 Riyang- Completed Br-08(Gail Khola) 76.2 Rangpo 7 Br-09(Teesta River) 229.2 Riyang- Work taken up Melli 8 Br-10(Melli Yard) 133 Melli Work taken up 9 Br-13( Bhalu Khola) 30.5 Riyang- Completed Rangpo 10 Br-14(Tar Khola) 67.1 Riyang- Completed Rangpo 11 Br-15(Tumlong 238.8 Riyang- Completed Khola) Rangpo 12 Br-16(SukhiyaKhola) 207 Riyang- Work taken up Rangpo 13 Br-17(Rangpo Chu) 426.8 Rangpo Work taken up Status of Stations: Sr No Station Status 1 Sivok Completed 2 Riyang Work taken up 3 Teesta Bazaar Work taken up 4 Melli Work taken up5 Rangpo Work taken up There are several challenges that affected the completion of the project works. Some of these are as under: i. Encounter of difficult rock strata in tunnels T8 & T10. ii. Proposal for diversion of Forest land, 3.26 Ha (for Riyang Yard) and 3.12 Ha (for Melli Yard & Bridge-9) are pending with The Government of West Bengal since March, 2024 which has affected the completion of the project. Survey for Rangpo – Gangtok New Line (40 Km) has been completed and preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been taken up. Further, Darjeeling is already connected to existing Indian Railway Network and Rail connectivity to Kalimpong is served by Teesta Bazar Station, Northeast Frontier Railway which is nearly 14 km away. After preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR), sanctioning of project requires consultation with various stake-holders including State Governments and necessary approvals viz. appraisal of NITI Aayog, Ministry of Finance etc. As sanctioning of projects is a continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines depend upon appraisals and approvals by various stakeholders. Further, during the last three years i.e. 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and the current financial year 2025-26, 23 surveys (14 New Line, and 9 Doubling) of total length 2,519 Km falling fully/ partly in North East Region have been sanctioned. Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include the following: Land acquisition  Forest clearance  Shifting of infringing utilities  Statutory clearances from various authorities  Geological and topographical conditions of area  Law and order situation in the area of project site  Number of working months in a year for particular project site etc. Various steps taken by the Government for effective and speedy implementation of rail projects include:  Substantial increase in allocation of funds.  Delegation of powers at field level.  Close monitoring of progress of project at various levels.  Regular follow up with State Governments and concerned authorities for expeditious land acquisition, forestry and Wildlife clearances and for resolving other issues pertaining to projects. *****