India has approved a $3.4 billion plan to build nearly 500 km of new railway lines in its northeastern frontier, targeting regions adjacent to China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Bhutan, according to people familiar with the matter.

The project, which includes bridges and tunnels, is slated for completion within four years. Officials say the railway expansion aims to integrate remote communities into national networks and strengthen logistics and mobility in a strategically sensitive border region. This rail initiative will complement India’s decade-long push to enhance road infrastructure in the northeast. Over the past ten years, India has constructed about 9,984 km of highways at an outlay of 1.07 trillion rupees, and is building another 5,055 km.

Officials say the synergy between rail and road projects could deliver faster civilian access, better disaster response capabilities, and more efficient movement of goods and people. Observers interpret the timing and scale of the investment as part of New Delhi’s broader strategy to deepen infrastructural reach in frontier zones amid fluctuating ties with Beijing. The sources said India has reactivated several advanced landing grounds and airfields that have been unused since 1962 in its northeastern territories, enabling helicopter and military aircraft operations to support logistics and defence readiness.

Discussions are reportedly ongoing about extending additional rail lines in the northern Ladakh region, near the disputed border with China. India’s existing rail network in Kashmir has already reached Baramulla.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly emphasized infrastructure development in sensitive border areas. He has flagged new border roads, inaugurated high-altitude rail bridges, and prioritized connectivity projects to reduce mobilization time. India’s railway authorities and the Press Information Bureau had not issued public comments at the time of reporting.