Work on construction of new Railway link connecting North Bengal to Sikkim commenced on February 20th 2010.

The work is being executed by Ircon International Limited which is having vast experience of construction of mega railway projects in India and abroad, including the construction of railway line in Jammu & Kashmir which offers similar challenges.

The proposed railway line passes through the foothills of Kanchanjungha mountain range and Tiesta river valley. The alignment connecting Rangpo from Sivok is 44.4 Km long, more than 70% of which will be through tunnels. The work also involves spanning of deep gorges/valleys with likely bridge pier height more than that of Qutab Minar.

The project cost is estimated to be approximately INR 3300 crore. The work is expected to be completed in 5 years period. When completed, this project will greatly improve the connectivity to Sikkim and will be of great boost to the State's economy as well as tourism.