Chicken Neck Corridor underground rail project to secure Northeast connectivity, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, calling it a strategic necessity.
Assam CM calls project a long-overdue strategic correction on Chicken Neck Corridor
Qalam Times News Network
Guwahati | February 9, 2026
Chicken Neck Corridor has once again come into sharp national focus after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that a proposed underground rail link through the strategically sensitive stretch in North Bengal will ensure a safer and more reliable transport route for India’s northeastern states.
Speaking through a post on social media platform X, Sarma said the security of the narrow land corridor should have been prioritised decades ago, particularly after the 1971 war. He described the proposed underground rail connectivity as a major strategic breakthrough for the country.
According to Sarma, the Chicken Neck Corridor has for years been used by anti-national forces—both within and outside India—as a tool of pressure and intimidation. “This project is extremely important. For decades, this narrow stretch has been viewed as a vulnerability,” he said, adding that the new underground rail link would establish a strong and secure transportation corridor between the Northeast and the rest of India.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier confirmed that work is underway on plans to lay underground railway tracks along the 40-kilometre-long strategic stretch, while simultaneously upgrading the existing rail infrastructure to four lines. The move is aimed at enhancing both civilian connectivity and national security preparedness.
The Chicken Neck Corridor—named for its narrow shape—is located in the Siliguri region of West Bengal. The land strip is wedged between Nepal and Bangladesh, with Bhutan and China located just a few hundred kilometres away. At certain points, the corridor’s width is barely over 20 kilometres, making it one of India’s most geopolitically sensitive zones.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Vaishnaw, Sarma said the project marks a decisive step toward addressing a long-standing strategic weakness. “Looking back, this issue should have been resolved much earlier—perhaps immediately after the 1971 conflict,” he remarked.
The Assam Chief Minister also reiterated his earlier views that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi could have sought an expansion of the corridor following the 1971 war. He further argued that had India retained control of the Chittagong Port during Partition—rather than ceding it to Pakistan—the Northeast would never have had to depend so heavily on the Chicken Neck Corridor for access.
Officials from the Northeast Frontier Railway stated that the proposed underground railway lines will run between Tinmile Hat and Rangapani stations in West Bengal. One of the lines is planned toward Bagdogra, a location considered critically important for India’s air defence infrastructure.
