He also noted the benefits to the Railways during monsoon.
Gangtok:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday laid the foundation stone of Sikkim’s first railway station at Rangpo.
It was one of over 2,000 rail infrastructure projects worth about Rs 41,000 crore unveiled by the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister, in his address via video conference, said the design of the Rangpo Railway Station will take inspiration from the rich culture, heritage and architecture of Sikkim.
Sikkim Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya was present at Khanikola in Rangpo where a function was organised.
Acharya said, “The laying of the foundation stone of Rangpo Railway Station is a historic and proud moment for Sikkim, underscoring its importance in the context of ‘Develop India@2047’ and its potential to enhance the tourism sector by providing quick and convenient travel options. Is.” Said.
He also noted the benefits of railways during monsoon, when NH-10 faces disruption.
He said that in such times, railways will prove to be a boon, which will increase connectivity and reliability.
The station will be part of a 45 km long railway line under construction from Sevoke near Siliguri in West Bengal to Rangpo in Sikkim. It will have 14 tunnels and 22 bridges.
The track on the Sevoke-Rangpo section of the Northeast Frontier Railway will have a lifting capacity of 25 tonnes and trains will run at a maximum speed of 110 kmph.
There will be three stations between Sevoke and Rangpo – Reang, Teesta and Melli, all in West Bengal.
The project was awarded to IRCON International in May 2010 at a cost of Rs 4,084.69 crore and the original deadline was May 2015. According to officials, the revised date is now December 2024 with a revised cost of Rs 12,474.07 crore.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
