New Delhi: The picturesque hilly state of
Sikkim is poised for a direct rail link with the rest of the
country within the next five years, with Railways terming the
project an engineering challenge in itself.
Most of the rail link, which will run through tunnels
will have bridge piers that will surpass Qutub Minar in
height, sources in Railways said here on Monday.
Work on the ambitious Rs 3,300 crore project began last
month by Ircon International Limited, which is also involved
in the Kashmir rail link project.
Sources said the project "poses major challenge in
execution and will be considered a rare engineering
achievement on its completion."
The proposed 44.4 km railway line passes through the
foothills of Kanchanjungha mountain range and Teesta river
valley, with the alignment running from Rangpo in Sikkim to
Sevok near Silguri in north of West Bengal.
Vice President Hamid Ansari and Railway Minister Mamata
Banerjee had laid the foundation of the project in October
last year.
PTI
