India and Bhutan are set to enhance bilateral ties with the launch of two new rail link projects, marking the first-ever rail connections between the two countries.

The KokrajharGelephu line, costing Rs 3,456 crore, will connect Kokrajhar and Chirang districts of Assam with Bhutan’s Sarpang region, facilitating passenger and goods movement while supporting economic and employment growth. Gelephu is being developed as a “mindfulness city” under Bhutan’s development plans. The second project, the BanarhatSamtse line, with an investment of Rs 577 crore, will link West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district to Bhutan’s Samtse, which is being developed as an industrial hub. 

Covering the 700 km India-Bhutan border, these rail links will improve Bhutan’s access to international trade routes via Indian ports, strengthening economic cooperation and deepening the strategic partnership between the two nations.