Guwahati bullet train extension approved but faces technical delays
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the narrow Siliguri Corridor presents significant engineering challenges for the high-speed rail project.
The extension of the Delhi-Siliguri bullet train corridor to Guwahati has been approved, according to The Assam Tribune on Tuesday. However, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the project will take time due to technical challenges in the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken’s Neck.
Sarma stated that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told him constructing a bullet train track within the 22-km-wide stretch would be technically difficult. The Chief Minister noted that the narrow area, which at some stretches is only 16 km wide, has existing roads and railway tracks that leave little room for additional infrastructure.
The Chief Minister said the line might require different engineering approaches, such as being constructed underground or overground. He added that a separate line must be built as the bullet train cannot run on present rail lines.
Sarma said that while the line is approved, surveys and technical assessments are required before details are finalised. He mentioned that he will discuss these technical details with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during his next visit to Delhi.
The proposed corridor is expected to connect Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patna, and Siliguri before extending to Guwahati. The extension could potentially reduce travel time between New Delhi and Guwahati to less than eight hours.