India Plans $3.4 Billion Rail Expansion Near China, Northeast Borders

India has approved a $3.4 billion plan to construct 500 kilometers of rail lines, including bridges and tunnels, in its northeastern border regions adjoining China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Bhutan. This project aims to enhance connectivity and military logistics in some of the country's most remote and strategically sensitive areas, with completion expected within four years. The rail network will complement nearly 10,000 kilometers of highways built over the past decade and the reactivation of Advance Landing Grounds to support military aircraft, reflecting a dual civilian and defense focus. Despite recent diplomatic thawing between India and China, India is proceeding cautiously by bolstering infrastructure to ensure rapid troop and equipment movement if border tensions escalate again. Discussions are also underway to expand rail connectivity near the disputed Ladakh border with China, underscoring India's strategic contingency planning amid fluctuating relations. The infrastructure push forms part of a broader effort by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to integrate border regions more closely with the rest of India while maintaining readiness for potential security challenges.