India plans $4.7 billion rail push along its borders

New Delhi: India is preparing to invest up to ₹45,000 crore (approximately $4.7 billion) in a major railway expansion programme along its borders with China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, aiming to strengthen both strategic mobility and regional connectivity, according to a Bloomberg report citing officials familiar with the proposal.

The investment, expected to be rolled out over the next 18 to 24 months, will finance the construction of new railway lines, stations and platforms, while modernising existing networks across Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and several northeastern states.

If approved, the border railway programme would account for nearly 22 per cent of India's total railway infrastructure spending over the next two years, reflecting New Delhi's growing emphasis on improving transport links in frontier regions.

The proposed package expands on an earlier $3.4-billion plan focused on the Northeast, which included the construction of rail lines, bridges and tunnels through some of the country's most challenging terrain.

The latest infrastructure push comes as India reassesses its security environment along three sensitive borders. Relations with China have gradually stabilised following the deadly Galwan Valley clash in 2020, while tensions with Pakistan flared during a brief military confrontation last year. Political changes in Bangladesh since 2024 have also prompted New Delhi to strengthen connectivity and logistics along its eastern frontier.

Besides improving civilian transportation, the railway upgrades are expected to significantly enhance military logistics. Expanded rail networks would enable faster movement of troops, equipment and supplies to border areas, providing reliable alternatives when road access is disrupted by weather or difficult terrain.

The projects are also expected to improve passenger and freight services in remote regions that have historically remained isolated from India's main transport network, supporting economic development alongside strategic objectives.

India has already completed several high-profile frontier railway projects in recent years. The 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, commissioned in 2025 at a cost of about ₹43,780 crore, established an all-weather rail connection to the Kashmir Valley through 36 tunnels and 943 bridges.

In the Northeast, the 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang railway line connected Mizoram's capital, Aizawl, to the national rail network in September 2025. Construction is also progressing on the 44.96-km Sevok-Rangpo line, which is expected to provide Sikkim with its first railway connection by December 2027.

Other strategic rail projects include the Jiribam-Imphal and Dimapur-Kohima lines, as well as a proposed underground railway corridor through the strategically important Siliguri Corridor, a narrow land link connecting India's northeastern states with the rest of the country.

The Railway Ministry has not officially commented on the reported investment plan.