Bloomberg: India to build 500 km of rail lines on China border in case of war

India plans to strengthen the railway infrastructure on its northeastern border to speed up the transportation of goods and ensure military readiness in case of an aggravation of relations with China. About writes Bloomberg.

According to the agency's sources, the Indian government has approved the construction of 500 km of railways, including bridges and tunnels, to connect remote regions on the borders with China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Bhutan.

The total cost of the project is estimated at 300 billion rupees (approximately $3.4 billion), and construction is scheduled to be completed within four years.

The new rail network will complement the developed road infrastructure that India has been building over the past decade. The country has already built 9,984 km of highways at a cost of 1.07 trillion rupees. More than 5,000 km more are under construction.

The modernization of logistics is expected to improve access for civilians and reduce emergency response times.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi is actively developing infrastructure in strategically important and remote areas of the country.

In particular, 1,450 kilometers of new roads are being built along the border with Pakistan and roads are being modernized near the Doklam Plateau, a disputed territory between China and Bhutan.

Separately, India has already built 1,700 km of railways in the northeastern region over the past decade.

• On August 31, it became known that India and China will resume direct flights after more than five years of interruption due to improved relations.