First rail links to connect India, Bhutan

New Delhi, Sep 29: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held consultations on Monday with his Bhutanese counterpart Aum Pema Choden, during which India and Bhutan signed an Inter-Governmental Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the first-ever cross-border railway connections.

The projects will link Kokrajhar in Assam with Gelephu in Bhutan, and Banarhat in West Bengal with Samtse, marking a new milestone in bilateral connectivity.

The Foreign Secretaries also reviewed the full range of cooperation between the two countries. They welcomed the commissioning of all six units of the 1,020 MW Punatsangchhu-II hydropower project, describing it as a major achievement under the India-Bhutan Joint Vision on Energy Partnership.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with development cooperation initiatives being undertaken with Indian support under Bhutan’s 13th Five Year Plan, noting that these projects are progressing well and delivering tangible benefits to the Bhutanese people. Officials said the new rail links, alongside ongoing energy and development initiatives, will boost economic opportunities, improve connectivity, and further strengthen people-to-people ties between the two neighbours.