India plans to invest up to ₹45,000 crore in border railway upgrades.
Projects will cover states adjoining China, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Spending will fund new tracks, platforms and stronger railway networks.
India plans to spend up to ₹45,000 crore, or about $4.7 billion, on railway projects in the border areas adjoining China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Bloomberg reported citing officials aware of the matter.
The investment is expected to be rolled out over the next 18 to 24 months and will cover the construction of new railway lines and platforms, along with upgrades to existing networks, the people said on the term of anonymity. The projects will span Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and other northeastern states.
The border railway programme is expected to account for nearly 22 per cent of India’s total railway infrastructure expenditure over the next two years, underlining the priority being given to frontier connectivity.
The proposed spending is broader than the $3.4 billion investment in northeastern railway projects reported by Bloomberg News in September. That plan included the construction of new lines, bridges and tunnels across difficult terrain.
The latest push comes as India reassesses its security and diplomatic position along three sensitive borders. Relations with China have stabilised following the deadly military clash six years ago. India was involved in a brief conflict with Pakistan last year, while political upheaval in Bangladesh in 2024 has complicated what had previously been a relatively stable relationship.
Bloomberg reached out to Railway Ministry but received no response on the investment plan.
The projects are expected to strengthen civilian transport while also supporting military logistics. Railway networks in border areas can be used to move troops, equipment and supplies, particularly when road access is disrupted or constrained by difficult terrain.
The upgrades could also improve passenger and freight connectivity in remote regions that have historically remained outside the country’s main transport networks.
Focus On Strategic Corridors
High-capacity, all-weather railway links in the Himalayas, the Siliguri Corridor and the Northeast could reduce the time required to deploy troops and equipment to border areas. They would also provide alternative supply routes during emergencies or military tensions.
India has accelerated railway construction in border and frontier regions to improve civilian connectivity and strengthen logistics. In Jammu and Kashmir, the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link was completed in 2025 at a cost of about ₹43,780 crore, creating an all-weather connection to the Kashmir Valley through 36 tunnels and 943 bridges.
In Mizoram, the 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang line was commissioned in September 2025, bringing Aizawl onto the national railway network. Work is also progressing on the 44.96-km Sevok-Rangpo line, which is expected to give Sikkim its first railway connection by December 2027.
Other strategic projects include the Jiribam-Imphal and Dimapur-Kohima lines, along with a proposed underground rail corridor through the strategically important Siliguri Corridor.
