Underground rail in the Siliguri Corridor aims to boost security, ensure uninterrupted connectivity, and help curb infiltration into India’s Northeast.
Updated: May 5, 2026 5:01 PM IST
India-Bangladesh Siliguri Corridor: With the assembly election results of West Bengal and Assam, the political map of eastern India has shifted sharply. In the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the BJP secured a sweeping victory, winning 206 out of 294 seats, a result which is being seen as a major strategic turning point, especially because West Bengal borders Bangladesh and sits close to the sensitive Siliguri Corridor, often called India’s Chicken Neck. Now, with the BJP in power in both Bengal and neighboring Assam, coordination with the central government is expected to become faster and more decisive. In this perspective, the key change in leadership is likely to speed up long-pending security and infrastructure plans to strengthen the India-Bangladesh Siliguri Corridor, boosting India’s internal security.
Why is the Siliguri Corridor important for India’s internal security?
The Siliguri Corridor is a narrow stretch of land, just 20-22 kilometres wide at its thinnest point, connecting India’s eight northeastern states to the rest of the country. The region is very vulnerable as it borders Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, often described as India’s weakest point. One of the key projects to secure the region is the development of an underground railway line through the Siliguri Corridor.
Also read: PM Modi makes first promise after Bengal win: ‘Strict action against infiltrators’
The Union Budget has already proposed expanding railway connectivity here to four tracks through Darjeeling district (West Bengal), Uttar Dinajpur district (West Bengal) and Kishanganj district (Bihar). With stronger political alignment between the state and the centre, efforts to secure the region and curb infiltration along the border are expected to gain momentum.
How is underground Siliguri corridor important for India?
The decision to build part of the railway underground comes from security concerns as the new underground route is expected to play a critical role due to it’s proximity to international borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh and it’s vulnerability to natural disaster, congestion and security risks.
Also read: ‘We have not lost West Bengal elections’: Mamata Banerjee makes big statement after massive loss
West Bengal gears up for crackdown on illegal immigration with new BJP government
With the massive mandate given to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, many critical issues on national security including illegal immigration is in news. The issue of illegal immigration has been in news in India for the last few years.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, too, echoed the same sentiment. As per a report carried by news agency IANS, the government is of the stance that illegal immigration into West Bengal and the other Northeastern states was not just an economic issue but more than that.
(With inputs from agencies)
