Vikas running on fast track in North East India: How the region has seen tremendous growth in Railway connectivity under Modi government
In the last eleven years, India’s Northeast, a region historically considered remote, disconnected, and underdeveloped, has undergone a transformational journey powered by railway connectivity under Modi government. Once known for its challenging terrain, insurgency, and lack of infrastructural growth, the region is now emerging as a beacon of development through unprecedented rail expansion.
Backed by the central government’s sustained focus on “Act East” and infrastructure-led growth, major railway projects like the Bairabi–Sairang line in Mizoram, the Dimapur-Zubza line in Nagaland, the Sevoke-Rangpo project in Sikkim, and the engineering marvel Bogibeel Bridge in Assam connecting to Arunachal Pradesh have brought tangible progress to the Seven Sisters & one brother of India.
A strategic push: Vision and policy
Since 2014, the Indian government has been trying hard to integrate Northeast India with the rest of the country. The government is developing the infrastructure, especially railways, as the core lever to bring socio-economic upliftment and national integration, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Vikas through connectivity”. This vision was further fueled by policies such as the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS), aimed at bridging the connectivity deficit in the region.
The result is the rapid pace of railway project execution, enhanced allocation of funds, technological innovation, and a commitment to overcoming geographic and logistical challenges. According to the Ministry of Railways, the capital outlay for rail projects in the Northeast has increased by over 370% from FY 2014-15 to FY 2023-24. This financial boost has translated into action on the ground, with new railway lines, gauge conversions, electrification, and doubling of tracks across various states.
Dimapur-Zubza railway line: Nagaland’s window to wider India
For decades, Nagaland remained without a railway network. The Dimapur-Zubza (Kohima) railway line had been on the drawing board for years. It saw accelerated work during the last decade. The project is estimated to cost ₹6,663 crore. This 82.5 km long line is not just a link between Dimapur and the capital, Kohima; it is a symbol of integration, ambition, and economic potential. The construction is being carried out in three phases. It includes more than 21 tunnels and 16 major bridges, and it passes through extremely difficult hilly terrain.
Once this line is operational, it will reduce travel time and significantly boost the logistics chain for agricultural produce, traditional crafts, and tourism. Kohima, which is still not on the railway map, is poised to become Nagaland’s next major rail hub by 2026. This project is empowering thousands of tribal communities through access to education, healthcare, and employment.
Sikkim’s first railway: Sevoke-Rangpo Line
Sikkim, a brother of the seven sisters, is finally set to join the national railway network. The Sevoke-Rangpo railway line, a 44.96 km long strategic project, is currently in advanced stages of construction. Passing through the dense forested and mountainous region of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in West Bengal before entering Sikkim. The project has required extraordinary engineering due to landslide-prone zones and sensitive ecological surroundings. It includes 14 tunnels and 28 bridges, and is slated for completion in 2027.
The railway line will bring Rangpo, a border town near Gangtok, just four hours away from Siliguri, to the Indian railway network. Eventually, this project is expected to be extended to Gangtok, further cementing Sikkim’s role in India’s strategic northeast frontier. The line will also benefit the Indian Army for movement near the Indo-China border, apart from giving a huge boost to tourism and horticulture-based industries.
Bogibeel bridge: Assam to Arunachal on steel and resolve
Perhaps the most iconic and publicly visible symbol of Northeast’s railway revolution is the Bogibeel Bridge, India’s longest rail-cum-road bridge, over the mighty Brahmaputra. Completed in December 2018, this 4.94 km long structure links Dhemaji on the north bank of Assam with Dibrugarh in the south, and indirectly connects to Arunachal Pradesh, significantly reducing travel time between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Before the bridge, people traveling from Dibrugarh to Itanagar would spend 24 hours via road detours; now, the journey takes just 6 hours. The bridge has strategic military significance as well, enabling fast troop and logistics movement towards the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Electrified double-line tracks over the bridge have transformed regional connectivity, benefiting over five lakh people in adjacent districts.
Arunachal Pradesh: rail to the eastern horizon
Arunachal Pradesh had no rail link till 2013. The Naharlagun Railway Station, inaugurated in 2014, marked a historic moment as the first major railway station in the state, just 15 km from Itanagar. Since then, intercity services from Naharlagun to Guwahati and Delhi have not only reduced travel time but also symbolised national integration. Work is ongoing to extend railway lines to Tawang, the strategically sensitive district near the China border.
The Bhalukpong-Tawang railway line, covering about 200 km, has received in-principle clearance and is currently undergoing detailed project report (DPR) formulation. Once completed, it will bolster defense preparedness and open up a hidden Himalayan paradise to responsible tourism and commerce.
Meghalaya and Mizoram: From isolation to integration
The capitals of Meghalaya (Shillong) and Mizoram (Aizawl), although important administrative centers, lacked railway connectivity for decades. That is now changing. While the Teteliya-Byrnihat line is expected to eventually connect Shillong to the Indian Railways network, Mizoram’s railway dreams are coming true faster.
The Bairabi–Sairang railway line, a 51.38 km project being implemented by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), will directly link the state capital Aizawl with the rest of India. It is one of the most challenging projects in the region, featuring 55 major bridges, 87 minor bridges, and 23 tunnels. Despite tough geography and high rainfall, significant progress has been made, and the project is now nearing completion, with final touches ongoing in 2025.
Once operational, Aizawl will no longer depend on long and difficult road journeys for essential goods, student migration, or medical emergencies. Farmers and weavers from Mizoram will have a direct connection to Guwahati, Kolkata, and Delhi markets, transforming the state’s economic fortunes.
Tripura and Manipur: The silent trailblazers
Post 2014, Tripura was one of the first northeastern states to witness the growth of the railway network in the region. The Agartala-Akhaura rail project connects India to Bangladesh. It is set to transform cross-border trade and is likely to be completed in 2025.
In Manipur, the Jiribam-Imphal railway line is under construction. The line, over 111 km long, will link Imphal to the national network for the first time, enabling Manipur’s capital to receive goods and tourists with equal ease. Once completed by 2026, the line will pass through tunnels that make up over 70% of the track, with high-speed, safe, and weather-proof rail services. It also has tremendous strategic importance due to Manipur’s proximity to Myanmar.
Economic and strategic payoffs
The combined impact of these projects is multi-dimensional. Tourism, trade, horticulture, education, and healthcare are expected to expand dramatically. Local products like oranges from Nagaland, pineapples from Meghalaya, and bamboo handicrafts from Mizoram will have national markets through efficient logistics. Additionally, railway stations in the region are being modernized under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, bringing airport-like amenities to rural towns.
Strategically, improved connectivity enhances India’s military logistics across the Northeast’s sensitive borders with China, Bhutan, and Myanmar. The railways also act as cultural integrators, unifying distant regions with the rest of India.
Conclusion: Tracks of transformation
For over a decade now, the real story of railways reshaping Northeast India isn’t just steel tracks or new tunnels. Honestly, it’s deeper than the trains themselves. What is unfolding touches people directly, restoring dignity and genuinely opening doors for folks who felt forgotten for too long.
Think about it, each fresh rail connection becomes a lifeline. Students get better access to education, farmers find new markets closer to home, women starting businesses gain reach, and tribal communities finally see tangible links to the wider economy. As India pushes towards that massive $5 trillion economy goal, hooking the Northeast firmly into the national rail grid means something powerful. It means the “Eight siblings” aren’t just getting linked up on a map; they’re gaining real agency, real power.
And the momentum builds. With dedicated economic corridors taking shape, logistics hubs getting serious upgrades, and truly smooth connections between road, rail, and river transport… well, that long-held vision starts to feel real. The dream of knitting India together, truly united, all the way from the southern tip of Kanyakumari to the far eastern outpost of Kibithu, is finding its footing. It’s being built, quite literally, on these determined stretches of track and sheer human will.
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