The Union Budget 2026&ndash;27 has quietly but decisively underlined India&rsquo;s strategic intent by backing a subterranean railway corridor through the Siliguri Corridor, better known as the Chicken&rsquo;s Neck. More than an infrastructure upgrade, the proposal reflects New Delhi&rsquo;s determination to secure its most fragile land link with the North Eastern states, amid shifting regional geopolitics.
The Siliguri Corridor, barely 20&ndash;22 kilometres wide, is India&rsquo;s sole overland bridge to eight northeastern states. Flanked by Nepal and Bangladesh, and located uncomfortably close to sensitive international borders, it remains a perennial strategic vulnerability. Any prolonged disruption here would sever civilian supply chains, commercial logistics and defence mobility to a region of critical economic and security importance.
Against this backdrop, the government&rsquo;s plan to construct underground railway lines across a 40-kilometre stretchmarks a significant shift in thinking. The proposal envisages two tunnel tracks laid 20&ndash;24 metres below ground, supplementing existing surface lines. Once completed, the corridor will operate six railway lines in total four above ground and two underground, creating built-in redundancy against both natural disasters and hostile disruptions.
From a strategic perspective, the alignment between Tin Mile Haat and Rangapani in West Bengal is deliberate. The terrain is relatively plain, allowing tunnelling without excessive geological risk, while its proximity to international borders underlines the urgency of protecting this artery. The move is designed to ensure that rail connectivity remains functional even under extreme contingencies, a principle increasingly central to modern infrastructure planning.
The timing is equally telling. Over recent years, China&rsquo;s accelerated infrastructure build-up near Doklam and Arunachal Pradesh has altered the regional security balance. Simultaneously, political volatility in Bangladesh and renewed activity around air and transport facilities close to India&rsquo;s borders have sharpened New Delhi&rsquo;s threat perceptions. In such a context, reinforcing the Chicken&rsquo;s Neck is as much about deterrence as it is about development.
Beyond security, the underground rail project promises tangible economic dividends. Faster, safer and more reliable rail movement will strengthen trade flows, reduce transit bottlenecks and encourage fresh investment across West Bengal, Bihar and the North East. For a region long constrained by geography, enhanced connectivity could prove transformative.
Seen together with India&rsquo;s parallel efforts to revive legacy airstrips, expand military bases and improve maritime infrastructure in eastern India, the tunnel rail plan signals a broader doctrine: strategic resilience through infrastructure. In the Siliguri Corridor, the tracks may soon run underground but their geopolitical significance could not be more visible.

Proposed underground rail at Siliguri Corridor-Chicken's Neck (representative tunnel image)

Budget 2026-27 backs tunnel rail to harden India’s vital Siliguri Corridor

Underground Rail Secures India’s Chicken’s

Budget 2026-27 backs tunnel rail to harden India’s vital Siliguri Corridor

February 4, 2026 | 16:34 IST