Sikkim Rail link construction begins

GANGTOK, July 23: The 44-km long Sevoke to Rangpo Rail link construction work has just begun.


This is the first phase work and will include soil cutting, tunnel construction and bridge and station building in different places.

While speaking with media persons today, general manger of India Railway Construction Company (IRCON) AK Gupta said they are yet to get clearance from the West Bengal Forest Department even as the first phase work has started. With this anomaly, the general manager wasn’t sure that the work may complete within its stipulated time frame of 2015. “We are waiting clearance certificate of Mahananda Wild Life Sanctuary, which falls under West Bengal Government. Around five kilometre stretch falls within this sanctuary,” he said.

Besides, technical hitches had disabled IRCON to start the work full-fledged since the completion of final survey in December 2009.

Talking about difficulties faced while carrying out construction works, Gupta explained that working in hills as compared to the planes were challenging as they need to construct a number of tunnels along rough topographies. “There will be around 32 tunnels along the 44-km long rail link, for which Indian Railways has already given permission,” the general manger said