Guwahati: Indian Railways has allocated Rs 11,486 crore for Assam and other Northeast states in the 2026–27 budget. This is nearly five times higher than the allocation in 2014. The move aims to improve rail connectivity, safety and infrastructure across the region.

Official data shows that railway projects worth Rs 72,468 crore are now in progress in the Northeast. These include surveys for new railway lines and a proposed 69 km rail link between Kokrajhar in Assam and Gelephu in Bhutan. Construction work has resumed in several areas, including Sikkim and Nagaland, to strengthen regional and cross-border links.

January 2026 saw key milestones for railways in the region. On January 17, India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper train was launched on the Kamakhya–Howrah route, connecting Assam with West Bengal. A day later, on January 18, Assam got its first Amrit Bharat Express services on the Guwahati (Kamakhya)–Rohtak and Dibrugarh–Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) routes.

During these events, railway officials also proposed a Varanasi–Siliguri bullet train corridor via Patna. There are plans to extend this route to Guwahati in the future, bringing the Northeast closer to the country’s high-speed rail network.

Since 2014, the Northeast Frontier Railway has laid around 1,900 km of new tracks. Five Northeast states have achieved full electrification. Assam has reached 98 percent electrification across 2,839 km of railway lines.

The region has also seen the construction of 502 flyovers and underpasses to improve safety and traffic flow. The Kavach train protection system has been approved for 1,197 km of routes, with work currently underway on 235 km.

Officials said the increased budget and ongoing projects reflect a strong push to integrate the Northeast more closely with the national rail network.

Promotional | North East Integration Rally