The Union cabinet has approved the laying of two more railway tracks between Aluabari Road and New Jalpaiguri (NJP).

While the Aluabari Road is in Islampur town of North Dinajpur district, NJP is in the southern outskirts of Siliguri in Jalpaiguri district. The stations are located 57km apart and are in the Siliguri Corridor or the Chicken’s Neck area, the slimmest part of India.

The Aluabari Road-NJP section currently has two railway lines.

Sources in the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said ₹1,786 crore had been allotted for the project.

“This project aims to address the growing demand for transportation infrastructure in one of the country’s most vital regions. By introducing additional tracks, it will reduce congestion, allowing for more efficient and faster movement of both passenger and freight trains, thus cutting travel times and improving the overall reliability of services,” said K.K. Sharma, the chief public relations officer (CPRO) of the NFR.

“The increased rail capacity will not only ease the burden on the existing infrastructure but will also facilitate the transportation of goods such as tea, timber, and agricultural products. It will boost the local and regional economy,” he added.

According to him, the project to increase the number of railway lines between Aluabari Road and NJP is a part of the Delhi–Guwahati high-density network route and holds strategic importance because of its proximity to the international borders with Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

The route passes through the Kishanganj district in Bihar and Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, and Uttar Dinajpur districts of Bengal.

“The infrastructure development will include seven stations, 99 bridges, and the construction of three road over-bridges and eight road under-bridges. It aims to facilitate the movement of 21.6 million tons of additional cargo, leading to a savings of ₹2,551 crore in logistics costs. It will also contribute significantly to fuel conservation by saving 2.14 crore litres of diesel every year,” the CPRO added.

The Siliguri Corridor’s strategic importance has increased with the change of guard in Bangladesh and the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in the neighbouring nation.