The Union Cabinet is expected to consider on Wednesday a proposal to approve a ₹18,600-crore road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra in Assam, a project that would mark a first-of-its-kind underwater transport corridor in India.
If cleared, the ambitious twin-tube tunnel will connect Gohpur on the north bank of the Brahmaputra with Numaligarh on the south bank, substantially cutting travel time between the two regions from nearly four hours at present to around 30–35 minutes.
The proposal is likely to come up at one of the final Cabinet meetings chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at South Block before operations shift to the new Secretariat complex. The project is seen as a major infrastructure milestone, particularly for the Northeast, where connectivity has historically lagged behind other parts of the country.
Designed to accommodate both vehicular traffic and railway lines, the tunnel would become India’s first underwater structure integrating road and rail movement in a twin-tube format. The corridor is expected to enhance civilian mobility, facilitate trade, and ease movement across the Brahmaputra — a river that has long posed logistical challenges due to its width and seasonal variations.
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Beyond civilian use, the project carries considerable strategic weight. Assam’s geographical location near international borders and its proximity to the narrow Siliguri Corridor, often called the “Chicken’s Neck”, make rapid troop and equipment mobilisation critical during emergencies. The tunnel is expected to provide a faster and more reliable alternative to existing bridges and ferries, strengthening defence preparedness in the region.
The initiative forms part of the Centre’s broader push to expand infrastructure across the Northeast over the past decade, including investments in highways, railways, and bridges aimed at integrating the region more closely with the rest of the country.
The timing of the proposed approval is politically significant as Assam heads towards Assembly elections. The tunnel project is widely viewed as a transformative development intervention that could reshape connectivity, commerce and strategic logistics in the state for decades.
If sanctioned, the Brahmaputra underwater tunnel would rank among the largest transport infrastructure projects undertaken in eastern India and signal a new phase in the region’s connectivity roadmap.
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