India to get first underwater road-rail tunnel under Brahmaputra in ₹18,662-crore project

The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways confirming the project will be developed under the engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) model.

At present, travel between Numaligarh on NH-715 and Gohpur on NH-15 spans about 240 km via Kaliabhambhora near Silghat on NH-52, taking nearly six hours and passing through areas including Kaziranga National Park and Biswanath town.

The new corridor is expected to sharply reduce distance and travel time while easing pressure on ecologically sensitive stretches.

The flagship element of the project is a road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra—India’s first underwater tunnel of its kind and only the second globally.

Officials say the corridor will significantly benefit Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and other northeastern states by improving freight efficiency, cutting logistics costs and accelerating socio-economic growth.

The project also aims to boost multi-modal connectivity, linking 11 economic nodes, three social nodes, two tourist nodes, and eight logistics nodes, with connections to four major railway stations, two airports and two inland waterways.

Once completed, it is expected to strengthen trade, open new industrial opportunities, and enhance strategic mobility in the region.

The approval comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried out a historic landing at the first emergency landing field in the Northeast, underscoring the Centre’s parallel push to upgrade strategic infrastructure in Assam amid evolving regional security considerations.