search icon
user icon
bookmark icon
blog cover blog cover

Trending

Witness The Pristine Beauty Through The Window - Andaman & Nicobar Island To Get Its First Railway Route

By Sanjay Gouda

Updated - Oct. 25, 2019 3 min read

Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been a favorite destination among travelers especially honeymooners for their pristine beauty, calm seas, and natural bounty. If you too have dreams of enjoying a vacation in the much-loved islands then here is one big good news for you. The Railways is planning a train in Andaman and Nicobar for the first time ever!

Andaman__Nicobar_First_Railway_Route_Image

While you might have already started visualizing the scenic beauty welcoming you as you gaze through the window, here is everything that you need to know about the soon-to-start rail route.

 

More Highlights

Connecting Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the 240-km railway line will have bridges and stations along the coast. This will connect Port Blair with Diglipur becoming the first rail line in the country to get the archipelago on the rail map.

Andaman__Nicobar_Island_To_Get_Its_First_Railway_Route-Image

Currently, Port Blair and Diglipur are linked by a 350-km bus service that takes over 14 hours and a ship that takes around 24 hours. There is no air connectivity.

 

 

Cost Of The Project

The rail line will be built with Rs 2,413.68 crore with a negative rate of return on investment of -9.64%. Though a rail line is considered commercially viable if it is at least a positive of 12% yet Railways has approved the plan due to its “uniqueness and strategic importance”, as per documents reviewed by The Indian Express.

Andaman__Nicobar_Island_To_Get_Its_First_Railway_Route-Image

Planning and Finance directorates of Railways said that the project “is unique, away from the mainland, and has tourism potential.”

 

Boon For Tourism

Quite naturally, the rail line is expected to promote the tourism of the islands as it will increase the inflow of tourists.

“As soon as the line is commissioned, tourism will see a jump from the current 4.5 lakh visitors a year to around 6 lakh a year, as per our estimates. So even though the railway survey shows a negative return, our assessment is otherwise. However, we have agreed to share the operational losses, if any,” Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Jagdish Mukhi told The Indian Express.

Andaman__Nicobar_Island_To_Get_Its_First_Railway_Route-image

The Ross and Smith islands are the major tourist attractions in Diglipur. “These are just two of the main attractions. Lakhs of tourists take great pains to reach there from Port Blair every year. With the railway line in place, that part essentially becomes a part of the capital, beneficial to tourists, local residents, and the defense forces,” said Mukhi.

 

Suggested Read:

Explore The Off Beat Place Chakrata-Comprehensive Guide

In Between The Hills There Lies A Hidden Wonder-Pangot

Your Comprehensive Guide To Things To Do In Nainital

The 10 Cleanest & Most Magnificent Villages In India Where You Must Plan Your Sojourn

 

Significance For Defence Forces

The UT administration too pitched for the tourism potential of the rail line claiming it is of “immense strategic value” to the defense forces as Diglipur is only 300 km by sea from the southern coast of Myanmar. The new train line from Port Blair to Diglipur will cover the distance in just three hours.

Andaman__Nicobar_Island_To_Get_Its_First_Railway_Route-image

As per the Railways’ Planning wing, the project can help build the strategic lines for Defence ministry like those in the border regions of the Northeast. In fact, the Finance arm can be taken up as a national project much like the famous Kashmir link.

 

Related tags:

Andaman & Nicobar

Beach Vibes

Beaches

Island

Before You Go... Check These Out!

Get the best gift ideas on magicpin

Get to know about unconventional & cute gift ideas that are perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, housewarming, graduation, Diwali, and other special occasions. We bring you top local brands that offer a plethora of gifting options for men, women, and kids. Magicpin has online vouchers for the top gifting brands to help you with savings. 

 

Get the best gift ideas for Christmas, New Year, Rakshabandhan, Diwali and more on magicpin

Festivals means gifting season, and we got you covered for that. At magicpin, we have a curated list of best gifting brands for Christmas, New Year, Rakshabandhan, Diwali, Holi, and more. Not only this, we have a classified collection of gifts for men, gifts for women, gifts for brothers, gifts for sisters, and gifts for friends and coworkers. In short, you will find everything with us. Not only this, with magicpin vouchers you can save a big deal with these top local brands.

 

Discover the best electronic gadgets with magicpin

Magicpin has curated a list of top brands of audio gadgets that will make your life more comfortable. You can shop for earphones, airdrops, Bluetooth speakers, smartwatches, wireless headphones, adapters, media drives and more. magicpin has online vouchers of the top home electronic to help you do #Aslisaving. You can shop from top brands of electronic gadgets that offer products such as BT headphones, LCD writing pads, webcams, wireless charging pads, external hard drives, and digital voice audio recorders at the best prices and top discounts.

 

Discover the best trends on social media with magicpin

Get all the trending news on your phone with magicpin. We love to let our audience know about the best trends on social media. From the most favourite Dalogna coffee to people trying out different recipes and becoming a self-taught chef, we will keep you updated about all the trends in food. And, not just food, but travel trends, shopping trends, fashion trends, beauty trends, we have all of them.