is no air and rail connectivity there but The Railway Ministry is set to say yes to the project, which will link the Union Territory’s capital city in the southern region with the biggest town on the north Andaman island presently connected by a 350-km bus service that takes over 14 hours and a ship that takes around 24 hours. A 240-KM broad-gauge railway line linking two major islands, with bridges and stations over the coast, will be a part of an ambitious rail link linking Port Blair with Diglipur on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands — a 1st in the country that will bring the islands on the rail map.
The expense of construction will likely be Rs. 2,413.68 crore. According to The Indian Express, the ministry plans to agree on the project because “it is unique, away from the mainland, and has tourism potential.”
The expense of the line will be Rs 2,413.68 crore with a negative rate of ROI of -9.64 per cent. The Railways thinks about a line to be commercially viable if this figure is at least a positive of 12 per cent. But the ministry is set to accept this task due to its “uniqueness and strategic importance”, in accordance to papers reviewed by The Indian Express.
Among the list of major tourist destinations in Diglipur are the Ross and Smith islands. “These are just two of the main attractions. Lakhs of travelers take great pains to get to there from Port Blair each year. With the railway line in location, that part effectively becomes a part of the capital, beneficial to tourists, local residents, and the defense forces,” said Mukhi.
