Siliguri: Darjeeling MP Raju Bista on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of a rail over bridge (ROB) that would be built over one of the busiest railway level crossings at Rangapani near Siliguri.
The bridge was a longstanding demand of people living in and around Rangapani to facilitate their free movement.
“The Rangapani station is the first station west of New Jalpaiguri (NJP). Hence, the level-crossing is frequently closed throughout the day as several trains pass through the route. That is why there was a demand for the ROB,” said Tapas Dutta, a resident.
The level-crossing, he pointed out, connects Asian Highway 2 and NH27, which skirt Siliguri. “There is a consistent flow of traffic along the level-crossing, and because of frequent closure of gates, traffic congestion is a daily affair,” said Dutta.
Officials of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) were present when Bista laid the foundation. He said the central government would bear the entire cost of ₹69.79 crore.
“This is an important and long-pending project for the people of Rangapani, Phansidewa, Kharibari, Siliguri and nearby areas in north Bengal. I raised this issue several times in Parliament and also wrote to the railway minister,” said Bista.
He alleged that the project was delayed because the Bengal government had declined to share construction costs, after which the Centre decided to bear the full expense.
“Even though the railways sanctioned the funds in August 2025, the state government delayed in issuing the no-objection certificate,” the BJP MP added.
Bista said if the total vehicle unit (TVU) reaches one lakh vehicles at a railway level-crossing, it qualifies for an ROB.
“In Rangapani, the TVU has reached 10 lakh, but the ROB has not been constructed so far,” Bista said.
The TVU in a level-crossing is a measure of traffic density. It is calculated by multiplying the daily train traffic by the number of vehicles which move through the crossing every day.
“Once completed, the Rangapani ROB will ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity. This will support economic growth and make daily travel safer and easier,” said the MP.