Railways unveils new rails, roads and tunnels in Arunachal

Adding to the rail network in the north east, Indian Railways has decided to build a new railway line in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The new line will be laid down at a height of 10000 ft, and is meant to cut down the travel time to Tawang drastically. The existing road from Bhalukpung to Tawang is 285 km long, while the proposed railway line would be as long as 166 km only. Nearly 80 percent of the railway line will pass via tunnels, the lengthiest tunnel being 29.48 km. Since the calculated site of the district is near the international border neighboring China, the railways will finish up the project as soon as possible. The town of Tawang, at a height of 3,048m, is not only a popular hill station but also a place held sacred by the Buddhists. The Bumla Pass is located about 37 km from Tawang, which marks the Indo-China border. The railways have proposed two-lane roads along the tunnels to be constructed on the railway line and that the Bhalukpung-Tenga-Tawang line will most probably be operational in about six years.