Now Reading: Centre approves fourth railway line through Chicken’s Neck corridor
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Centre approves fourth railway line through Chicken’s Neck corridor
The Centre has approved a fourth railway line through the strategically vital Chicken's Neck corridor, Northeast Frontier Railway General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava announced on Wednesday. The Malda-New Jalpaiguri section, a key…
The Story in Brief
The Centre has approved a fourth railway line through the strategically vital Chicken's Neck corridor, Northeast Frontier Railway General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava announced on Wednesday. The Malda-New Jalpaiguri section, a key link connecting the Northeast with the rest of India, will get a fourth line in addition to a previously approved third line.
Shrivastava also revealed a 29-km double-line underground project between Tinmai Ghat and Bagdogra. The Chicken's Neck, a narrow 20-22 km wide stretch in north Bengal, is considered a critical security and logistics corridor. Redevelopment of New Jalpaiguri station is expected by April 2027, while 42 new trains and 250 stoppages were added last year.
The Indian Opinion
The Chicken's Neck upgrade is welcome, but talk of 'major transformation' will be tested by execution delays typical of large rail projects. The 2027 deadline for New Jalpaiguri station redevelopment is optimistic given past overruns. The real measure of capacity increase will come when freight trains move faster through this narrow corridor during peak seasons, not just when politicians cut ribbons. Will the fourth line and double-line underground project actually reduce transit times for goods from the Northeast to the rest of India?
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
