India Fortifies 'Chicken's Neck' with Underground Rail for Northeast Connectivity

• India plans a 40-km underground railway corridor through the strategically sensitive Siliguri Corridor, known as the 'Chicken's Neck', to ensure secure connectivity with the northeastern states.
• Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the project, which will involve laying underground tracks at a depth of 20-24 meters and upgrading existing tracks to four lines.
• The Siliguri Corridor, a narrow strip in northern West Bengal, is critical as it connects the Northeast to the rest of India and is vulnerable due to its proximity to Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and China.
• NFR officials, Chetan Kumar Shrivastava and Hitendra Goyal, confirmed the underground stretch will run between Tin Mile Haat and Rangapani railway stations, with one line connecting to Bagdogra, a key air defence hub.
• The project aims to safeguard national security, ensure military movement and supply lines, and enhance capacity and resilience against external threats or natural calamities, as highlighted by Maj Gen AK Siwach (Retd) and Sandip Ghose.

Why It Matters: India is building an underground rail corridor in the vulnerable Siliguri 'Chicken's Neck' to secure Northeast connectivity.