NEW DELHI, Sept 29: India on Monday unveiled its plan to build two cross-border train links with Bhutan at a cost of over Rs 4,000 crore, in first such railway connectivity projects with the Himalayan nation to boost trade and economic engagement. The details on the new rail projects linking the Bhutanese cities of Gelephu and Samtse with Kokrajhar in Assam and Banarhat in West Bengal respectively was made public by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Under the two projects, 89 kms of railway lines will be laid and work is expected to be completed in the next four years.
"India and Bhutan share a relationship of exceptional trust, mutual respect, and understanding," Misri said at a joint media briefing with Vaishnaw.
"This is a relationship that is rooted in cultural and civilizational ties, extensive people-to-people relations, and our shared developmental and security interests," he said.
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