NEFR kick-start Bhalukpong-Tawang rail line project

Country's bid to take rail line at a height of 10,000 ft in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh has recently becomes a reality with the launch of ground work for Bhalukpong-Tawang rail line by the North East Frontier Railways. General Manager Northeast Frontier Railway Construction, Nilesh Kishore Prasad, said that railway line from Bhalukpong to Tawang will be 198 km of which 177 km will be underground tunnels with very little disturbance to the ecology. The proposed rail tunnel crossing Dzela pass will be 27 km long and is going to be one of the longest tunnel in the country. Bhalukpong is the entry point via road to Tawang. The district is also connected by a helicopter service, but unpredictable weather often leads to cancellation of flights. Until recently, it was a distant dream that Tawang will be connected with railways, but now it is going to become a reality, Additional Assistant Commissioner Tawang, Choiki Dondup said while expressing his gratitude to the land owners of Shartso Committee for leasing out the land for the upcoming project.