Centre plans underground rail tracks along 40-km corridor connecting NE with rest of India: Vaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said that plans are afoot to lay underground railway tracks along the 40-km strategic corridor in West Bengal, connecting the North East with the rest of India. The narrow land corridor via Siliguri in West Bengal, connecting the North East region with other parts of India, is often termed as the 'chicken's neck'. Addressing reporters through video conference on Union Budget allocation for the railway ministry, Vaishnaw said, ''There is special planning for the 40-km strategic corridor connecting the North East with the rest of the country. The planning is on to lay underground railway tracks, and also make the existing tracks four-line,'' he said. Sharing details of the planning, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava said the underground lines will be between Tin Mile Haat and Rangapani railway stations in West Bengal. ''This underground stretch is important from a security point of view,'' he added.